The Grand Prix of Great Britain 2025 on Silverstone will enter history as one of the most controversial races of the season, mainly due to an incident that set the Formula 1 world on fire. Oscar Piastri, the Australian driver of McLaren, was accused by many of unsporting behavior after a conscious brake maneuver behind the Safety Car, who brought Max Verstappen to a plight. The Fia intervened hard and imposed a 10 -second time penalty, together with two penalty points on his super license, for what is already being labeled as a “false playing technique”. This moment, which took place at round 21, Piaastri cost the victory and brought Lando Norris to the highest step, while Verstappen saw his chances of a stage evaporate.
The race started with Verstappen on pole, but it soon became clear that the McLarens of Piaastri and Norris were superior in the wet conditions. Piastri took over the lead in round 7, while Verstappen struggled with the balance of his Red Bull RB21, which was set for dry weather. When a Safety Car was deployed after a crash from Isack Hadjar, Piaastri was given the responsibility to determine the pace as a leader. What followed was a shocking action: according to the FIA telemetry, Piastri braked abruptly from 218 km/h to 52 km/h on Hangar Straight, just after the Safety Car lights were extinguished. Verstappen, who drove just behind him, had to divert to avoid a collision and passed Piaastri briefly, which is against the rules. A few turns later Verstappen spinded in Stowe, partly through the imbalance of his car and the surprise of Piastri’s maneuver.
The stewards were inexorable. According to Article 55.15 of the FIA regulations, the leader may not perform unpredictable or dangerous maneuvers behind the Safety Car. Piastri’s Abrupt braking action, with a brake pressure of 59.2 PSI, was seen as a clear violation. The 10 -second punishment he served in the pit lane, and the two penalty points for his super license caused heated discussions. Piastri himself was furious and called the punishment “extremely unfair”. He said to his racing engineer Tom Stallard about the on-board radio: “I say nothing, otherwise I will be suspended for a year.” He even suggested that McLaren had to let him and Norris change his position to be able to race honestly, but the team did not comment on this. McLaren team boss Andrea Stella in turn alluded to exaggeration of Verstappen, who may make the situation look worse to provoke a punishment.
Verstappen himself was surprisingly mild about the punishment. After the race, in which he finished fifth, he said to Viaplay: “It has happened to me a few times that someone is doing that, but 10 seconds is very extreme. I don’t make the rules.” He denied that Piastri’s action immediately led to his spider, but pointed to the bad balance of his car and the difficult tire temperatures in the rain. Nevertheless, Verstappen was happy for his friend Nico Hülkenberg, who achieved his first stage. “That was the highlight of the day,” he said with a smile.
The international media and fans were divided. Some praised the FIA for the hard performance against what they saw as a conscious attempt by Piastri to destabilize Verstappen, while others, such as analyst Peter Windsor, understood Piastrri’s frustration. Windsor mentioned Piastri’s radio message, in which he asked for a position change, “intelligent” and criticized McLaren’s choice to have the punishment carried out during the pit stop. Posts on X reflected the division: some called Piastri’s action “scandalous” and proof of McLarens “false playing technique”, while others thought that Verstappen was overlooked and the punishment was exaggerated.
For McLaren, the race was a triumph, with a 1-2 finish for Norris and Piastri, despite the controversy. Piastri retained his championship line with 234 points, eight points for Norris, while Verstappen fell further behind with 69 points behind. For Sauber, Hülkenberg’s stage was a historic milestone, while Verstappen already focused his focus on Spa. However, Piastri’s “cheating technique” will be talked about for a long time, with questions about sportiness and the consistency of FIA sentences. Silverstone 2025 was a race that brought both hero and controversy, and the rivalry between Piaastri and Verstappen is now hotter than ever.
