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Oscar Piastri endured a miserable Brazilian Grand Prix. The McLaren driver received a heavy time penalty early in the race for his collision with Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc. The incident sparked plenty of debate, and Robert Doornbos says he understands why Piastri attempted the move.
Piastri already had work to do after a disappointing qualifying session. Following the restart in the opening phase of the race, he tried to snatch second place from Antonelli with a dive on the inside of Turn 1. But the Australian braked too late, slid into the Mercedes, and triggered a chain reaction that sent Leclerc into retirement.
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The stewards reviewed the clash and deemed Piastri fully at fault. They concluded that he was the only driver who could have prevented the incident and handed him a ten-second time penalty. It ended his hopes of fighting for victory or even a podium. After the race, Leclerc himself said the penalty was too harsh.
Was the Penalty Fair?
Former driver and current analyst Robert Doornbos gave his view on Race Café on Ziggo Sport. “My racing heart says: ‘Great racing, brilliant that he tried it!’ It’s not without reason it happened in the Senna S. Senna always said: ‘If you no longer go for a gap, you are no longer a racing driver.’ But you do have to execute it perfectly. Like Montoya once did on Schumacher, wheel to wheel. Now you take the heaviest penalty you can get.”
Did Piastri Take Too Much Risk?
Doornbos also understands why Piastri went for the move. “With what he has at stake — the world title — you have to go all in. But I felt it was a bit half-hearted. He had the chance because Kimi had a poor restart. Then you need to commit, otherwise you become a sitting duck. If you keep your foot in, yes, you risk hitting Kimi, but you hope to clip him on the wheels. Max has done that often enough in that corner with Hamilton or someone else.”
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