Oscar Piastri Demands Overhaul of F1 Rules as Concerns Grow Over Loopholes and Inconsistent Penalties
Oscar Piastri has urged Formula 1 and the FIA to take a hard look at the current racing guidelines, insisting that the sport must urgently address growing inconsistencies in stewarding decisions and clamp down on drivers exploiting loopholes in the rules. The McLaren star is pushing for these concerns to be tackled directly during the scheduled meeting between drivers and FIA officials at the Qatar Grand Prix, where the revised racing guidelines will again come under scrutiny.
Piastri’s frustration stems from two recent incidents that, in his view, highlight an uneven application of penalties and a worrying trend of competitors “gaming the rules” to their advantage. The Australian was left particularly unhappy after the opening-lap collision at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where he made contact with Liam Lawson at Turn 1. Despite Piastri being forced wide and sustaining race-impacting consequences, Lawson was not penalised. Stewards concluded that the Racing Bulls driver had been attempting to avoid George Russell, who had locked up on the inside line, and therefore deemed the clash a racing incident.
The decision baffled Piastri. Speaking after the race — before his later disqualification for a technical infringement unrelated to the crash — the 24-year-old did not hide his disbelief. He labelled Lawson’s move as “ambitious,” remarking that he was stunned that such an aggressive attempt was considered acceptable under current regulations. Piastri admitted that he no longer sees value in trying to make sense of the FIA’s judgement calls: “I’m not even going to bother trying to compute it anymore. It is what it is.”
His irritation is amplified by what happened just one race earlier at the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil. At Interlagos, Piastri was handed a severe 10-second penalty for attempting an overtake down the inside of Kimi Antonelli — a move many drivers, analysts, and fans felt was firm but fair. The punishment cost him a potential podium, dropping him from a possible second place to fifth by the finish. The ruling was widely criticised as excessive, especially compared to other similar racing moments throughout the season that went unpunished.
This stark contrast — one incident penalised harshly, the next let go completely — has strengthened Piastri’s view that the system is flawed. When this comparison was raised by journalists in Las Vegas, the nine-time race winner reiterated that the volume of discrepancies had become too overwhelming to rationalise. Instead, he prefers to focus on constructive solutions rather than lingering on past decisions.
The upcoming Qatar Grand Prix will therefore play host to an important meeting between the drivers and the FIA, during which feedback on the amended racing guidelines will be openly discussed. These guidelines were introduced following similar discussions at the same Lusail venue last year and were intended to provide clearer direction on how wheel-to-wheel combat should be judged. Piastri acknowledged that in many cases the guidelines have been helpful, offering more consistency in typical on-track episodes. However, he believes the framework still has significant gaps that need addressing.
“Clearly, some tweaking is needed,” he said. “The balance isn’t quite right at the moment, and there are situations where people are manipulating the rules or pushing them to extremes. There have been a few incidents recently that don’t really reflect the kind of racing we want to see in Formula 1.”
His comments reflect a broader sentiment shared by several drivers this season, as questionable penalties — or lack of them — have sparked debate across the paddock. Many feel that the consistency of stewarding has become increasingly unpredictable, with decisions appearing dependent on the specifics of each panel’s interpretation rather than a uniformly applied standard.
Piastri hopes that the Qatar meeting will encourage open dialogue and lead to adjustments that better protect the integrity of racing while preventing competitors from exploiting grey areas. He believes that refining the rules is essential not only for fairness but also for ensuring racing quality remains at the highest level.
“So I’m confident we’ll sit down, talk through everything properly, and improve as a sport moving forward,” he concluded, emphasising his desire for Formula 1 to become more transparent, competitive, and just.
The debate over penalties, racing etiquette, and stewarding consistency is set to continue throughout the Qatar weekend — and Piastri’s voice is now one of those leading the charge for meaningful reform in the championship.
