FIA Slaps Oscar Piastri with Second Penalty at 2025 Italian GP, Igniting Controversy After Monza Rule Breach

The 2025 Italian Grand Prix at Monza has been thrown into chaos as the FIA announced a second penalty for McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, the championship leader, following a rule violation during Saturday’s qualifying session. Just hours after narrowly missing pole position to teammate Lando Norris by 0.083 seconds, Piastri faced scrutiny for an incident in Q3, compounding his earlier Free Practice 2 reprimand for an early garage release. The FIA’s decision, detailed in an official statement, has sparked outrage among McLaren fans and heated debates on X, with many questioning the severity of the penalty and its impact on the Constructors’ Championship battle against Ferrari. As Monza’s race day looms, the penalty adds a dramatic twist to an already intense weekend, with Piastri’s title hopes hanging in the balance.

The second penalty stems from Piastri’s actions during Q3, where he was found to have impeded Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the Parabolica corner, violating Article 37.5 of the FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, which prohibits unnecessarily impeding another driver during qualifying. The stewards’ verdict, published on the FIA’s official site, noted that Piastri, on an out-lap, slowed excessively at Turn 11, forcing Verstappen to take evasive action and lose time on his final flying lap. This resulted in a three-place grid drop for Piastri, demoting him from P2 to P5 for Sunday’s race start, behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton (who faces his own five-place penalty from Zandvoort), and Williams’ Carlos Sainz. The decision follows Piastri’s FP2 reprimand for an early garage release during a red flag period caused by Kimi Antonelli’s crash, as reported by RacingNews365, raising concerns about McLaren’s operational precision.

McLaren, leading the Constructors’ Championship with 324 points, expressed disappointment but accepted the penalty, with team principal Andrea Stella telling Sky Sports F1, “We respect the stewards’ call, but it’s a tough blow for Oscar’s race.” Piastri, who posted a 1:19.761 lap in qualifying, was vocal about the incident, insisting to Motorsport.com, “It was unintentional; I was warming my tires, not blocking.” However, Verstappen, who qualified seventh, vented frustration, telling RacingNews365, “It ruined my lap—clear impeding.” The penalty reshuffles the grid, elevating Leclerc to P2 and boosting Ferrari’s home Grand Prix hopes, especially after their strong FP1 showing where Hamilton and Leclerc topped the timesheets, per Autosport. X erupted with reactions, with @F1Pulse calling it a “harsh call” and @TifosiFever celebrating Ferrari’s advantage, posting, “Leclerc’s got a shot now!”

The timing of the penalty is critical for McLaren, already navigating the fallout from Norris’s Dutch Grand Prix DNF due to an engine oil line failure, which introduced a “small weight penalty” for Monza’s upgraded parts, per The Race. Piastri’s grid drop could hinder McLaren’s strategy to lock out the front row, achieved with Norris’s pole at 1:19.678. Ferrari, trailing by 191 points, sees an opening with Leclerc’s P2 start and Hamilton’s pace, despite his P8 grid position due to the Zandvoort penalty. Williams’ Sainz, starting P3 after a standout P3 in both practice sessions, emerges as a wildcard, telling RacingNews365, “We’re in the mix.” Red Bull’s struggles continue, with Verstappen’s P7 reflecting the RB21’s grip issues, as he noted to Sky Sports F1, while Mercedes faltered with Antonelli’s Q1 crash and Russell’s P6.

The penalty has broader implications for the championship. Piastri, 34 points ahead of Norris, risks losing ground if he can’t recover from P5, especially with Monza’s overtaking opportunities at the Rettifilo chicane. Fans on X, like @McLarenFanatic, decried the “inconsistent stewarding,” pointing to Hamilton’s unpenalized contact in Zandvoort, while @RacingTruth argued, “Piastri’s penalty helps Ferrari at home.” As the race begins at 14:00 BST on September 7, 2025, under clear 25°C conditions, per BBC Sport, McLaren’s one-stop strategy on Pirelli’s C3-C5 compounds faces pressure. Will Piastri fight back to keep his title lead, or will Ferrari capitalize on their home turf? The Italian Grand Prix promises a fiery battle as the FIA’s decision reshapes the grid and fuels F1’s drama.