Guenther Steiner Criticizes McLaren's Handling of Piastri's Brazil GP Penalty

Guenther Steiner, former Red Bull technical operations director and ex-Haas team principal, has sharply criticized McLaren for their passive acceptance of Oscar Piastri's 10-second penalty at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. This penalty, which restricted Piastri to a fifth-place finish, was seen by many as a significant blow to his championship aspirations.

Why it matters:

• Steiner's comments highlight a contentious issue in F1: the balance between aggressive racing and penalty enforcement, especially when a driver's championship hopes are on the line.
• His critique questions McLaren's team advocacy, suggesting a more robust defense could have been mounted, particularly given Charles Leclerc's own perspective on the incident.

The Details:

• The Incident: During the Lap 6 restart, Piastri, Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc went three-wide into Turn 1.
• Piastri, forced onto the inside kerb, locked a wheel, tagging Antonelli into Leclerc, which led to Leclerc's immediate retirement due to a suspension breakage.
• Stewards' Verdict: The FIA stewards deemed Piastri "wholly" at fault, imposing a 10-second penalty.
• Leclerc's View: Crucially, Leclerc himself stated that Piastri was not entirely to blame, suggesting Kimi Antonelli shared responsibility: "It’s a shame. Collateral damage of an incident between Oscar and Kimi where, in my opinion, Kimi was as much to blame as Oscar."
• McLaren's Response: Despite branding the penalty "harsh," McLaren team principal Andrea Stella accepted the decision: "I think overall the penalty is harsh for Oscar to be considered fully to blame for this incident. At the same time, now it’s done, so I reiterate the respect that we have for the stewards, we accept it, we move on."
• Steiner's Critique: Steiner expressed disbelief at McLaren's approach, awarding them the 'wanker' title for not fighting for their driver. He argued that even the affected driver, Leclerc, did not place full blame on Piastri, making McLaren's acceptance perplexing.

Between the lines:

Steiner's remarks underscore a philosophy of unwavering team support in F1. His past role as a team principal suggests a belief that teams should aggressively challenge decisions perceived as unfair, even if the outcome isn't guaranteed. For Steiner, accepting a "harsh" penalty without a stronger fight, especially when an involved competitor publicly mitigates blame, is a missed opportunity for advocacy.

What's next:

This incident and the differing reactions to it could fuel further debate within the F1 paddock regarding stewarding consistency and team responsibility in defending their drivers. As the F1 2025 title race continues, every point, and every penalty, will be scrutinized under a magnified lens. Piastri, currently 24 points behind Norris, will need to put this behind him and focus on maximizing results in the remaining races.