McLaren finished first and second at the British Grand Prix, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the team.
The hometown hero, Lando Norris, got the win at his stomping grounds after his teammate, Oscar Piastri, got slapped with a 10-second time penalty for a safety car infringement.
The penalty resulted from Piastri’s hard braking as the safety car was coming to an end.
Despite Norris taking home the win, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown felt for the Australian driver, who would have likely won the race if not for the penalty.
“Disappointed for Oscar, for sure, he drove an unbelievable race, but, you know, you come across penalties every once in a while, and some are marginal, some are clear, some are wrong, and just kind of is what it is,” Brown said on Sky Sports.
According to an FIA document released after the race, Piastri dropped from 218 kph to 52 kph and applied 59.2 PSI on the brakes.
Brown felt that the sudden appearance of the safety car led to Piastri reacting in such a drastic fashion.
“Safety car seemed like it was called in a bit late. The leader controls. I think Max accelerated, Oscar braked, which made it look worse than it was,” Brown added.
“The telemetry didn’t look like it looked on TV, but it is what it is. I think anytime you get into these penalties, there’s an element of subjectivity.
“I think when they’re pounding on the brakes, they’re at 130/140 psi, so you know, trying to get temperature in the tires.”
Since it is another one of its drivers that benefited from the penalty, McLaren is unlikely to protest the penalty. However, the team will likely seek clarity on why such a harsh penalty was imposed.
British Grand Prix Race Results
- Lando Norris – McLaren
- Oscar Piastri – McLaren
- Nico Hulkenberg – Sauber
- Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari
- Max Verstappen – Red Bull
- Pierre Gasly – Alpine
- Lance Stroll – Aston Martin
- Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
- Alex Albon – Williams
- George Russell – Mercedes
- Oliver Bearman – Haas
- Carlos Sainz – Williams
- Esteban Ocon – Haas
- Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
- Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull
- Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes – DNF
- Isack Hadjar – Racing Bulls – DNF
- Gabriel Bortoleto – Sauber – DNF
- Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls – DNF
- Franco Colapinto – Alpine – DNF
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