Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Football
Netball
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Piastri escapes with stewards' reprimand at Monza GP
Ian Chadband, AAP • September 6th, 2025 9:15 am
Oscar Piastri had an eventful first day of practice at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza | Photo: AP
Oscar Piastri has had a scare in first-day practice at the Italian Grand Prix, avoiding a potential grid penalty and escaping with a reprimand after a pit-lane incident at Monza.
Australia's F1 world championship leader was investigated by stewards after failing to follow the race director's instructions, having left his pit box before being given the all-clear following a red flag period during Friday afternoon's second practice session.
Piastri ended up with just a reprimand and ended the afternoon, declaring it had been a "good day" after he finished fourth quickest in the second session, even though his McLaren teammate and main championship rival Lando Norris went fastest.
Piastri hadn't taken part in the morning session as McLaren took the chance to blood Irish youngster Alex Dunne as part of their young drivers commitment.
But in the second, the Victorian ended up finishing 0.181sec slower than Norris, who bounced back from crashing out at the Dutch Grand Prix by heading the timesheets with a 1 min 19.878 sec lap on the 'Pista Magica'.
"Not doing P1 (practice session one), I had a bit of catching up to do in P2, but I feel like I hit the ground running," said the typically unflappable Piastri, who was also behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc (1:19.961) and Williams' Carlos Sainz Jnr (1:19.974).
The concern for McLaren occurred when the team released Piastri 19 seconds too early from the pits out into the fast lane before the drivers had been given official permission by race control to restart following the red flag.
McLaren admitted their mistake, with Piastri telling Sky Sports before being called up in front of the stewards: "I think we just misjudged and got confused with the messaging and timing system. We went a little bit early but not concerned.
"It might be a warning or something, but I would be surprised if it's a sporting penalty."
He was right. Mercedes' George Russell and Kimi Antonelli had both been handed one-place grid penalties during qualifying at the Bahrain Grand Prix for similar offences, but stewards took into account that Piastri's misdemeanour had occurred only in free practice.
"No significant sporting advantage could potentially be gained as this happened in free practice and therefore we consider a reprimand to the competitor to be appropriate," the stewards ruled.
Norris, 34 points behind Piastri in the title race, was delighted to put his engine blow-up in the Netherlands behind him as he led the way.
Like his Aussie teammate, his only concern had been a brief problem with their McLarens' right wing mirror.
Of the challenge from the other teams as McLaren seek a sixth straight win, Norris admitted "it's a little bit close for my liking, but we're not in a bad spot.
"We've still got a few things to improve, but it's good we're still at the top of the timings despite that."
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was fifth. Making his first Monza appearance in the hallowed Ferrari red, he had delighted the tifosi in the opening session by leading home Leclerc in a surprise one-two
