Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsSaturday, June 20, 2026

Was Oscar Piastri’s penalty at the British Grand Prix too harsh?

Revisiting Oscar Piastri’s penalty at the British Grand Prix

F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain
F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain
Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images
Mark Schofield
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.

Several storylines emerged following the checkered flag at the end of the British Grand Prix.

Of course, there was hometown hero Lando Norris, winning the race he wanted most in front of a grandstand bearing his name.

Then there was Nico Hülkenberg, and perhaps Formula 1’s greatest story of perseverance. 15 years after making his F1 debut in 2010 at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Hülkenberg finally climbed onto a podium with a third-place finish at Silverstone. That ended the longest wait for a driver before their first podium finish, as that P3 came in Hülkenberg’s 239th career F1 start.

There was also a spin from Max Verstappen that knocked him down the running order from second to tenth. While the Red Bull driver recovered to finish fifth, it was not the end to the day he was hoping for. The team fitted a low-downforce rear wing on his RB21 ahead of Saturday which powered him to pole position, but that cost him in wet conditions.

Then there was perhaps THE storyline: Oscar Piastri’s ten-second penalty for a Safety Car infringement, coming after the McLaren driver braked heavily near the end of a Safety Car period. Piastri was running up front and leading the field to the restart, but after serving the penalty he came out behind Norris, and had to settle for second.

And he was none too happy about it.

Race officials have weighed in, as have many of you online. So it’s time to put it to a vote in this week’s F1 installment of SB Nation Reacts. Was Piastri’s penalty too harsh? Too lenient? Or just right?

See More:

More in F1

F1
Lewis Hamilton’s Barcelona win proves he still has the drive of a championLewis Hamilton’s Barcelona win proves he still has the drive of a champion
F1

On Sunday in Barcelona, Lewis Hamilton rocketed to his first Ferrari win, and into the title fight

By Mark Schofield
F1
Praise pours in for Lewis Hamilton’s first Grand Prix win with FerrariPraise pours in for Lewis Hamilton’s first Grand Prix win with Ferrari
F1

Lewis Hamilton’s first Grand Prix win with Ferrari earned praise throughout the F1 paddock

By Mark Schofield
F1
Watch Curaçao’s first ever World Cup goalWatch Curaçao’s first ever World Cup goal
F1

Livano Comenencia puts his name in the history books with this strike against Germany for Curaçao

By Mark Schofield
F1
Lewis Hamilton wins the Barcelona-Catalunya GPLewis Hamilton wins the Barcelona-Catalunya GP
F1

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton wins the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, sparking the title fight

By Mark Schofield
F1
Charles Leclerc despondent after qualifying crash at Barcelona-Catalunya GPCharles Leclerc despondent after qualifying crash at Barcelona-Catalunya GP
F1

Watch the moment Charles Leclerc’s qualifying session ended at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix

By Mark Schofield
F1
F1 qualifying results: Who takes pole in Barcelona?F1 qualifying results: Who takes pole in Barcelona?
F1

Who will take pole position at the F1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix?

By Mark Schofield

Comments
Loading comments
Getting the conversation ready...