Oscar Piastri has voiced his astonishment after the FIA stewards chose not to penalise Charles Leclerc for their controversial clash during the Belgian Grand Prix, despite the McLaren driver suffering significant floor damage that jeopardised his race.
The incident, which unfolded on lap eight at Les Combes, saw Piastri attempt a bold move around the outside of Leclerc, only for the two to make contact-an episode that left Piastri questioning the consistency and logic behind race officiating at the highest level.
The battle for position was fierce as Piastri, in the McLaren MCL40, tried to outbrake Leclerc’s Ferrari into the corner. Leclerc defended robustly, and their cars touched at the very start of the braking zone. While Leclerc continued unscathed and ultimately secured a second-place finish, Piastri’s car sustained damage, relegating him to fifth at the chequered flag, crossing the line 16 seconds adrift of the Ferrari.
Immediately after the incident, Piastri aired his frustrations over team radio, stating, “He didn’t leave enough space, that could’ve been a massive crash.” Race Control swiftly reviewed the clash but decided no further action was warranted. Speaking to assembled media at Spa, including PlanetF1.com, Piastri did not hide his dismay: “I mean, from where I was sat, I was on the white line and got squeezed, and we were firstly very lucky not to have a bigger crash because we touched wheels at the start of the braking zone. I don’t really know where I was supposed to go.”
Piastri further elaborated, “I was not saying that it needed to be a penalty necessarily, but at least a black-and-white flag, or something like that. Because if we think that is fine, it is one thing having touches like that, but even just the incentive of knowing that you can leave anyone the absolute bare minimum of space and get away with it, that’s not the nicest place to be.”
The FIA later issued a detailed explanation of their decision, having investigated the crash under Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2(d) of the International Sporting Code. The stewards concluded, “On the approach to Turn 5, Car 81 [Piastri] moved to overtake Car 16 [Leclerc] on the outside. Car 81 had some overlap on Car 16, but the front axle of Car 81 was not ahead of the front axle of Car 16 and there was no possibility of Car 81 completing an overtake from that position. In the Stewards’ determination, Car 16 did not deliberately crowd Car 81 off the edge of the track. Car 16 followed the racing line before the entry to Turn 5 by moving slightly to the left to open up for Turn 5, and side-to-side contact occurred between the two cars. In the circumstances, the Stewards determined to take no further action.”
With Leclerc claiming second and Piastri salvaging fifth, the clash and its fallout have reignited debate over the consistency of stewarding decisions in Formula 1-an issue that continues to generate heated discussion across the paddock.