Oscar Piastri explains why he’s not happy with US Grand Prix stewards after ‘harsh’ penalty calls

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Formula 1 races in the United States have a history of controversy and the 2024 edition at the Circuit of the Americas was no exception.

From the six-car race at Indianapolis in 2005 to driving around Caesars Palace car park in the 1980s, the United States Grand Prix has never been short of talking points.

The introduction of Sprint Races to the calendar has provided even more opportunities for teams and drivers to make headlines and the most recent race in Austin was no exception.

While many fans pay no attention to the three practice sessions that typically take place during a race weekend, a Friday evening Sprint qualifying alongside an additional race attracts a lot more eyes.

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri was one driver who had a Sprint Race to forget in Austin after being eliminated in the first part of qualifying.

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He had work to do and eventually finished 10th, however, that doesn’t earn you a point in the shortened format.

Piastri also picked up a five-second penalty for a poorly judged overtaking move on Pierre Gasly, however, speaking to F1’s Post-Race Show on Sunday, he was unsure about the ruling after witnessing teammate Lando Norris’s battle with Max Verstappen. 

Oscar Piastri unhappy with stewards’ decision after the United States Grand Prix

Norris picked up the same penalty as Piastri during the Grand Prix which cost him a podium and when asked about it, the Australian said: “I’ve seen the incident a bit and pretty harsh I would say considering I had a very similar incident yesterday in Max’s position and I was the one that got a penalty.

“I’m sure we’ll have some questions about that.”

Piastri was then asked if there was enough clarity from the stewards and continued: “I mean I think given those incidents were so similar with opposite penalties, probably not.

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“It’s very, very difficult especially when you’ve got a car on the outside and both cars going off the track and stuff like that.

“So, it’s not an easy thing to decide and the difference of 20 or 30 centimetres being alongside can make a massive difference.

“The easiest thing would be to just put gravel there and no one’s going to go off!”

Were the F1 stewards consistent in Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris’s US Grand Prix penalties?

When considering the penalties that Piastri and Norris picked up, it’s important to note that in both situations, it was the McLaren drivers trying to gain positions.

Piastri had DRS during the Sprint Race and came from quite far back on Gasly, who was just starting to turn in when Piastri’s McLaren was nearly level.

Gasly was forced off the track, while Piastri stayed within the track limits, however, it was deemed he was too aggressive and forced the Frenchman off the track.

Anthony Davidson disagreed with the decision to penalise Piastri and that’s where Verstappen’s defence of Norris comes into play.

Verstappen started on the inside of Norris, but the McLaren was much closer to him than Piastri was to Gasly and therefore didn’t need to dive bomb down the inside.

Both Verstappen and Norris failed to make the corner, although Norris had to way too given he was level with the Dutchman when he went off the track.

Norris gaining an advantage by coming out ahead of Verstappen is the reason he was penalised, even though Verstappen failed to make the corner.

The stewards made the correct decision by the letter of the law, but as Piastri points out, how that law is interpreted may need some work going forward, otherwise, drivers can simply out-brake themselves, preventing another car from passing them around the outside while they’re also forced off the track.