FIA Disqualification at British GP Resulting from Safety Car Incident
The FIA has imposed a major penalty on McLaren’s Oscar Piastri after a contentious safety car incident involving Max Verstappen during the 2025 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The ruling followed a chaotic moment during the second safety car restart, which triggered a sequence of events that ultimately impacted the reigning world champion’s race.
The controversy began when Piastri, positioned toward the front, unexpectedly slowed down under the safety car just before the race was set to resume. This caught Red Bull’s Verstappen by surprise, as he anticipated Piastri would accelerate. Reacting prematurely, Verstappen launched forward — only to realize too late that the McLaren hadn’t picked up speed. The miscalculation caused Verstappen to spin, dropping him dramatically down the field to 11th place.
Race stewards quickly opened an inquiry into the restart, concluding that Piastri’s sudden deceleration was a key factor in Verstappen’s spin. The FIA ruled that Piastri had violated restart procedures, creating a hazardous scenario for those around him. As a result, the McLaren driver was hit with a 10-second time penalty — a sanction that could significantly influence his final race position.
The penalty has stirred debate inside the McLaren camp. Team CEO Zak Brown spoke to Sky Sports during a live broadcast, revealing that the team is reviewing whether to appeal the decision. “We’re discussing it on the pit wall,” Brown said. “The call for the safety car to come in was quite late. The lead driver dictates the restart, and while it looked dramatic on screen, our data doesn’t show anything overly concerning.”
