Carlos Sainz Slams “Unacceptable” Oscar Piastri Penalty, F1 Stewarding Under Fire

Formula 1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of motorsport, right? The fastest cars, the best drivers, the most elite teams. Yet, if you ask Williams driver Carlos Sainz, the officiating is starting to look a bit more like a local go-kart track’s weekend league. And frankly, he’s not wrong. After a season riddled with questionable calls, Sainz has finally had enough, calling out the “unacceptable” penalty given to Oscar Piastri at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Let’s set the scene: São Paulo, a virtual safety car restart, and a chaotic Turn 1. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri found himself in a three-car tangle with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. The end result? Leclerc was out of the race, and Piastri was slapped with a 10-second time penalty for his troubles. The stewards, in their infinite wisdom, decided Piastri was at fault. Anyone with a pair of eyes and a basic understanding of racing physics, however, could see it was a classic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sainz, who also serves as a director for the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), didn’t mince his words. He’s seen enough inconsistent stewarding to last a lifetime and believes the Piastri penalty is a symptom of a much larger problem. It’s a decision that, according to him, is “far from where the sport should be.”

What Did Sainz Actually Say About the Penalty?

Speaking ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Sainz let loose on his frustrations with the current state of F1‘s rule enforcement. He made it crystal clear that the penalty given to Piastri in Brazil was, in his view, completely unjustified.

“The fact that Oscar got a penalty there in Brazil is unacceptable, honestly, for the category that we are in and being the pinnacle of motorsport,” Sainz stated bluntly. “Everyone that’s seen racing knows that that is not Oscar’s fault at all, and everyone that’s really raced a race car knows he could have done nothing to avoid an accident there and he got away with a 10-second penalty.”

It’s refreshing to hear a driver speak so openly. Sainz isn’t just complaining for the sake of it; he’s drawing on his own frustrating experiences. He brought up his own controversial penalties at Zandvoort and Austin, plus a collision with Oliver Bearman at Monza where he felt the penalty was undeserved. It paints a picture of a system that’s dishing out punishments with the consistency of a roulette wheel. One weekend, a move is fine; the next, it costs you a race. For drivers trying to compete at 200 mph, that kind of uncertainty is just not good enough.

Why is F1 Stewarding So Inconsistent?

Sainz has a theory, and it’s one that many fans and pundits have echoed for years. The problem might lie in the rotating cast of stewards at each Grand Prix. Unlike a fixed Race Director, the panel of three stewards changes from race to race. This means drivers are constantly dealing with different interpretations of the rules. Imagine playing a football game where one referee calls a tackle a foul, and the next weekend, a different ref lets the exact same tackle go. It would be chaos.

Sainz believes that having a fixed trio of stewards for the entire season would create the consistency the sport desperately needs.

“I think if we had three fixed guys, the same way that we have a fixed Race Director… we would develop an understanding among us and you would know when it’s your fault,” he explained.

This isn’t a radical idea. It’s common sense. With consistent officiating, drivers would learn the boundaries, understand what’s acceptable wheel-to-wheel racing, and what will land them in hot water. Right now, it feels like they’re just rolling the dice every time they go for an overtake.

McLaren‘s team principal, Andrea Stella, backed up the sentiment, calling Piastri’s penalty “definitely on the harsh side.” Even though Piastri had a small lock-up, he maintained his trajectory. But the stewards saw it differently, and that decision significantly impacted Piastri’s race and his tight championship battle with teammate Lando Norris. What should have been a strong points finish turned into a damage limitation exercise.

So, where does Formula 1 go from here? The drivers are clearly fed up. The fans are confused. And the sport’s credibility is taking a hit with every baffling penalty. Sainz has thrown down the gauntlet, demanding an urgent review of the rules and how they’re enforced. It’s time for the FIA to listen. The “pinnacle of motorsport” deserves a pinnacle of officiating to go with it.