Piastri Penalised for Safety Car Braking at British Grand Prix

Oscar Piastri was handed a 10-second penalty at the British Grand Prix for braking heavily during a safety car restart, which allowed Max Verstappen to overtake him briefly. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella criticized the penalty as harsh and suggested that rivals may have exaggerated their reactions to influence the stewards' decision, noting the late call to end the safety car and loss of tire and brake temperature. Piastri expressed confusion and frustration, insisting his braking was within the rules and similar to maneuvers he had performed earlier in the race without penalty. Despite his disappointment, he congratulated teammate Lando Norris, who won the race and is now closing the championship gap. Piastri even requested a team order to swap positions with Norris to mitigate the penalty's impact, but the team declined. The incident has intensified the McLaren intra-team battle for the title, with Piastri maintaining an eight-point lead despite Norris's recent winning streak.