Oscar Piastri acknowledges the penalty for his clash with Arvid Lindblad, noting that the regulations are 'difficult' to apply at the initial corners of the Mexico circuit.
Oscar Piastri accepted his penalty from the Mexico City Grand Prix for the collision with Arvid Lindblad, citing the Formula 1 driving standards guidelines - but he implied that those standards may need adjustment for complex corners like those at the Mexican track.
The Australian positioned his McLaren on the outside of Lindblad heading into Turn 1, aiming to secure the inside line for the forthcoming Turn 2. Both drivers maintained their trajectories, resulting in Lindblad's rear-left wheel colliding with Piastri's front right; this caused the Racing Bulls to get airborne before crashing into the exit wall and retiring from the race.
Piastri received a 10-second penalty for the incident, which dropped him from seventh to 13th place as the pack regrouped following the safety car deployment.
He argues that corners requiring quick directional changes complicate the enforcement of these guidelines. According to the FIA's driving standards, a driver on the inside must have their front axle aligned with the mirrors of the leading car to 'earn' racing space at the apex, while an outside line requires the attacking driver’s front axle to be level with that of the defending car.
"Looking at the guidelines, it's tough to contest the penalty," Piastri remarked. "However, that particular sequence of corners in Mexico makes it challenging to apply those guidelines consistently."
"Each corner is somewhat unique, especially sequences of corners, and it feels like when the only way to avoid a collision is to cut the track, it puts you in a difficult situation.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
"It's certainly a tricky situation. I believe Arvid was quite assertive. According to the guidelines, he was entitled to defend his position, and I too had the right to attempt that move until the moment I decided to back out, which is when the collision occurred."
Looking ahead to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Piastri expressed a desire for a "cleaner" race weekend as McLaren aims to reclaim third place in the constructors' championship from Red Bull. The team fell behind after Austin, with the deficit to the Milton Keynes squad now at 17 points.
McLaren will debut a revised front wing for the Brazilian race, which is expected to contribute to the development of its 2027 car as they work towards a more manageable MCL41. Piastri hopes the new components will enhance the balance of the current car; both drivers have acknowledged that the 2026 McLaren requires significant handling to reach its optimal performance.
"I don't think I need to do anything extraordinary; it would just be nice to have a smoother weekend, that's for sure," Piastri clarified.
"We have some new parts for the car this weekend, so hopefully that simplifies things a bit, but there’s no need to push for something remarkable.
"It's about continuing to improve the aspects we've been focusing on and making the car handle a bit better if possible, so that's the main goal and we’ll see where we finish. There's no point in forcing something that's unrealistic, so we’ll just take whatever performance we can achieve."
Share Or Save This Story
More from this section
F1 Brazil GP: Friday timetable, climate outlook, and viewing options
Max Verstappen quips about the possibility of rain in Brazil: "I've put in some antivirus now!"
Max Verstappen addresses Toto Wolff's assertion that the time of "ruthless" F1 competitors has come to an end.
Lewis Hamilton acknowledges that his candid personality has complicated his transition to Ferrari.
How unrefined skill Rafa Camara is experiencing prior to his 'unexpected' F1 home debut in Brazil
