Piastri finished fifth at Interlagos after serving the penalty during his first pit stop. The stewards deemed him wholly responsible for the Lap 20 incident, which occurred immediately after a Safety Car restart when he attempted an inside move on Antonelli at Turn 1.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The two made contact, sending the Mercedes rookie into Charles Leclerc\u2019s Ferrari, who had been trying to pass around the outside. The clash forced Leclerc to retire, while Piastri initially moved up to second behind teammate and eventual race winner Lando Norris \u2014 before the penalty cost him a potential podium.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIn terms of the penalty, I would say that [it was] definitely on the harsh side,\u201d Stella was quoted by Formula 1. \u201cIt\u2019s true, we see a little lock-up, but at the same time, he\u2019s able to maintain the trajectory, which is ultimately what counts.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The McLaren boss suggested that the blame should have been shared between the two drivers. \u201cI think the responsibility should be shared with Kimi, because Kimi kind of knew that Oscar was on the inside, and the collision probably could have been avoided,\u201d Stella continued.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cPerhaps Kimi was also worried about having Leclerc on the outside. A difficult situation, obviously, a difficult situation, but I think overall the penalty is harsh for Oscar to be considered fully to blame for this incident.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAt the same time, now it\u2019s done. So, like I reiterate, the respect that we have for the stewards, we accept it, we move on.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The result leaves Piastri 24 points behind Norris in the drivers\u2019 standings with just three Grands Prix and one Sprint left in the season. The 24-year-old has not been on the podium for five races, and his recent performances have been inconsistent compared to his strong start to the year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAt the same time, now it\u2019s done. So, like I reiterate, the respect that we have for the stewards, we accept it, we move on.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cJust talking right now with Oscar, some of the adaptations that we talked about in these low-grip conditions, I think he was able to execute them during the race,\u201d Stella added. \u201cSo, I think we take away from this event encouraging indications from a performance point of view and a race pace point of view.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n