Oscar Piastri avoids penalty after F1 Dutch GP pit lane incident with George Russell

Oscar Piastri escaped penalty following a tense pit lane incident with George Russell during second practice for Formula 1‘s Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.

The McLaren driver narrowly avoided what could have been a huge collision with Russell’s Mercedes in the pitlane as cars were returning to the pits following a red flag caused by Alex Albon’s crash.

As the field slowed and made their way into the pit lane Piastri attempted to enter his pit box but was initially waved past by the McLaren crew.

Consequently, Piastri swung back out into the fast lane to reach the next available pit box, a maneuver that nearly caused contact with Russell who was closely following in his Mercedes.

Russell was forced to brake heavily and take evasive action to avoid a collision. Though the incident created a scary moment for both drivers and team personnel, no contact or injuries occurred.

Following the session, stewards launched an investigation into the event to determine responsibility and any potential penalties.

Russell later described the incident as “scary” and admitted he was caught off guard: “I think he pulled in too early then pulled back out. A bit unfortunate but it scared me a bit.

“When you’re on track, you’re ready for anything. But when you’re in the pit lane going relatively slow, you’re chilling out then suddenly ‘geez!’. It caught me out by surprise.”

The FIA stewards’ inquiry later revealed that the root of the incident was partly due to the team’s pit lane management.

However, while Piastri avoided a sporting penalty McLaren was fined €5,000 under Article 12.2.1.h of the International Sporting Code which highlights the potential danger of unsafe act or failure to take reasonable measures, thus resulting in an unsafe situation.

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The stewards’ statement read: “The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 81 (Oscar Piastri), team representative and reviewed video, team radio and in-car video evidence.

“Car 81 attempted to leave the fast lane and enter its pit box during a red flag period in free practice 2. As Car 81 approached the pit box, the entry was blocked by team personnel pushing a rear jack.

“Another team member signalled Car 81 to go around him to the next pit area which he did. In doing so, he turned back briefly within the fast lane and thereafter entered the pit box. All of this resulted in Car 63 having to brake heavily and take evasive action.

“No collision was caused, however, the situation could have resulted in one. It could also have resulted in injury to one or more team personnel in the pit lane.

“The team acknowledged that the driver was not warned and also recognised that they could have managed the situation better. We agreed that the team should have taken more care in managing the entry of Car 81 into the pit box.

“Although we issued the Summons based on Article 55.5 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations, we felt that Article 12.2.1.h better reflected the infringement by the team in this instance.

“We therefore imposed a fine of €5,000 under that Article.”

The FIA’s nuanced approach in investigation of the F1 Dutch GP pit lane incident contrasts with other recent incidents involving both Oscar Piastri and George Russell, particularly around safety car or pit lane braking situations.

Notably, Piastri was sanctioned with a 10-second time penalty at the British Grand Prix after heavy and erratic braking behind the safety car, a decision that sparked debate and drew comparison to George Russell’s similar but unpunished actions during the Canadian Grand Prix.

The key difference in these cases centered on the severity and abruptness of the braking, with data indicating Piastri applied significantly higher brake pressure and deceleration compared to Russell.

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