Charles Leclerc, Ferrari driver, was not penalized after a collision with Oscar Piastri during the Belgian Grand Prix of Formula 1. The race stewards determined that the Monegasque driver did not intentionally cause the contact.
The incident took place on the eighth lap at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, where Leclerc and Piastri were battling for third position. Entering the Les Combes curve, Leclerc defended his position, forcing the McLaren driver to attempt to overtake him on the outside, resulting in a collision that damaged Piastri’s vehicle.
After the accident, Piastri communicated via radio that he blamed Leclerc for the collision, indicating that he had to maneuver to avoid a ‘big’ net. The stewards reviewed the video footage and internal recordings, concluding that the McLaren driver did not have the conditions to complete the overtaking from his position on the outside and that Leclerc did not force him off the racing line.
As a result, Leclerc was able to continue the race without immediate consequences and took advantage of a virtual safety situation to take the lead in the competition. However, Kimi Antonelli showed greater speed, passing Leclerc and taking victory, while the Ferrari driver had to settle for second place.
Regarding the incident, the stewards’ statement said that Piastri had attempted to overtake, but his position did not allow him to successfully close the maneuver. Furthermore, the stewards concluded that Leclerc had maintained his racing line easily adjusting to allow the exit action in the next curve.
On a similar day, Leclerc’s teammate, Lewis Hamilton, was penalized with a five-second penalty for a collision with George Russell during the first lap of the race.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_717943f77cd0b987c680760e1e5cf5f885e6611b