FIA stewards acknowledge error with Leclerc’s penalty
FIA stewards have acknowledged they got it wrong by not sanctioning Charles Leclerc for his collision with Oscar Piastri during last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. The admission came during a scheduled meeting between race officials and drivers at the Hungaroring on Thursday evening, reports BritPanorama.
After extensive debate on the matter, the stewards reportedly conceded that Leclerc’s actions merited a five-second time penalty. This ruling had initially prompted unease among several drivers, who feared it could set a precedent encouraging overly aggressive defending in braking zones—areas where car-to-car contact is notably risky.
Piastri had voiced those concerns ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, stating, “If we think that that’s fine, it’s one thing having touches like that, but even just the incentive of knowing that you can leave everyone the absolute bare minimum space and get away with it, that’s not the nicest place to be.”
At the time of the original incident, officials had dismissed the contact as a mere racing incident, arguing that Leclerc was simply following his usual racing line and that Piastri’s overtaking attempt lacked realistic prospects of success. Since then, Leclerc has maintained that the situation was not entirely clear-cut, while also acknowledging that his defending had perhaps gone too far.
“I think with Oscar it was a bit on the other side — so that’s probably not the way I want to race all the time,” Leclerc said. “It’s also risky for me at the end of the day. That was maybe a bit too sketchy.”
Beyond the Leclerc-Piastri debate, the meeting produced one immediate change: stewards agreed to apply greater leniency towards incidents occurring at safety car restarts, bringing the rules in line with the more forgiving approach typically applied to opening-lap collisions. Drivers had long pressed for this shift, arguing that low tyre pressures and the complexities of energy deployment patterns made restarts particularly difficult to manage. Officials accepted their arguments.
The Thursday session also touched on potential minor revisions to the driving guidelines ahead of the 2027 season. Those proposed changes are expected to be finalised at a second annual meeting, which traditionally takes place later in the campaign.
Lewis Hamilton was notably absent from the Thursday gathering, despite having been on the receiving end of a contentious penalty at Spa. The seven-time world champion received a sanction for a first-lap clash with Mercedes team-mate George Russell, a decision regarded as harsh by both drivers, who considered it a racing incident. His non-attendance sparked speculation regarding whether it was a deliberate choice or a scheduling conflict.
Four other drivers—Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez, and Valtteri Bottas—also missed the session. The dynamics of race regulations continue to provoke debate in the paddock, where the intricacies of competition and officiating remain a constant topic of discussion.
