Max Verstappen Slams FIA, Demands Harsher Penalty for Piastri After British GP Clash
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen unleashed a furious outburst at the FIA, declaring, “He needs to be punished more,” following a controversial incident with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri during the 2025 British Grand Prix. The incident, which occurred during a safety car restart on lap 21, saw Piastri penalized for erratic driving, but Verstappen argued the punishment was too lenient for the chaos it caused.
The rain-soaked Silverstone race was fraught with drama, as changing conditions and multiple safety car periods tested drivers’ skills. Piastri, leading the race, abruptly slowed from 218 km/h to 52 km/h on the Hangar Straight as the safety car lights went out, applying 59.2 psi of brake pressure, per FIA telemetry. Verstappen, running second, was forced to swerve to avoid a collision, briefly overtaking Piastri before yielding the position back. Moments later, Verstappen spun at Turn 6, dropping to 10th, a mistake he attributed to being unsettled by Piastri’s maneuver. The FIA stewards issued Piastri a 10-second penalty for breaching Article 55.15 of the Sporting Regulations, which prohibits erratic braking likely to endanger others. The penalty, served during Piastri’s final pit stop, handed the victory to teammate Lando Norris.
Verstappen, who recovered to fifth, was incensed post-race, telling Sky Sports F1, “That was dangerous, and a 10-second penalty isn’t enough. He needs to be punished more.” He argued Piastri’s sudden braking was “reckless” and disrupted his race, costing him a shot at the podium. “I had to avoid him, then I lost the car because of it,” Verstappen added, noting the wet track and late safety car call-in amplified the risks. The Dutchman, now 69 points behind championship leader Piastri, called for stricter enforcement to deter similar incidents.
McLaren’s Andrea Stella defended Piastri, describing the penalty as “harsh” and pointing to the “extremely late” safety car lights as a contributing factor. Piastri himself, finishing second, was diplomatic but frustrated, saying, “I did what I thought was right. It’s tough to lose a win like that.” Meanwhile, Norris, who celebrated his first home Grand Prix victory, avoided the controversy, instead praising the “Landostand” crowd and playfully jabbing Verstappen with, “You can’t win them all.”
The race also saw Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg secure his first F1 podium in third, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in fourth. X posts reflected the polarized fanbase, with one user writing, “Max is right, that was dangerous from Oscar,” while another countered, “Verstappen’s just salty he spun out.” The FIA has not indicated whether it will review the incident further, but the controversy has intensified the 2025 title fight as the grid heads to Spa-Francorchamps in three weeks.
