McLaren chief hints at Max Verstappen role in controversial FIA penalty decision

McLaren F1 chief Andrea Stella has hinted that Red Bull star Max Verstappen played a role in getting Oscar Piastri a penalty at the British Grand Prix.

Piastri was leading the race at Silverstone but was given a 10-second time penalty for driving erratically behind the safety car, which would ultimately open the door for his teammate and championship rival, Lando Norris, to win the race.

Piastri slowed from 218kmh to 52kmh behind the safety car just as the lights went out, with Verstappen behind him in second having to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

However, Stella has now seemingly accused Verstappen of making the incident seem worse than it was, as he hinted at a wider problem within F1.

"We'll have to see also if other competitors kind of made the situation look worse than what it is," he told Sky Sports after the race.

"We know that as part of the race craft of some competitors, definitely there's also the ability to make others look like they are causing severe infringement when they are not.

"So a few things to review. A few things to review. But in itself, now the penalty has been decided, has been served, and we move on."

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F1 penalty problem

If you have watched an F1 race before, you will be used to the fact that drivers quite regularly take to team radio when they are not happy with their fellow rivals.

Calls to race engineers asking them to check the legality of certain actions are commonplace, as drivers look to do whatever they can to get ahead of their competitors.

Stella's thinly veiled accusation is not a huge shock, but more an appraisal of the self-policing that takes place in the sport.

Just like in football, when players appeal to the referee, drivers take to the team radio, as Verstappen did with Piastri, to air their grievances with the actions of those they are competing with.

Yes, drivers might make things seem worse than they are, but that is precisely the role of the stewards to separate fact from fiction and analyse the data.

Teams and drivers know that the rules are there to be interpreted, so they will do all they can to plead their case.

Until the sport introduces a repercussion for calling for penalties, much like a yellow card for dissent in football, this so-called 'race craft' that Stella alludes to will not be going anywhere.

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