Piastri accepts Mexico penalty but questions F1’s opening-corner guidelines

After contact with Arvid Lindblad at the Mexico City Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri accepted a 10-second penalty, saying it was hard to argue against under Formula 1’s driving standards guidelines. He nevertheless said those guidelines are difficult to apply through the circuit’s opening corners.

At Turn 1, Piastri went around Lindblad on the outside, aiming to take the inside line for Turn 2. Both held their lines. Lindblad’s rear-left wheel made contact with Piastri’s front right, sending the Racing Bulls car into the air and into the exit wall. Lindblad was out of the race.

The guidelines set different thresholds for an inside and an outside attack. To earn room at the apex from the inside, the attacker’s front axle must be level with the car ahead’s mirrors; from the outside, it must be level with the defender’s. Piastri said the sequence of corners makes the guidelines particularly difficult to enforce. He argued that a driver is left with little choice if avoiding contact means cutting the track.

Piastri also said Lindblad had the right to defend and that he himself was entitled to keep trying the move until he tried to back out, when the cars collided.

The penalty cost Piastri seventh place. He was classified 13th as the field bunched up following the resulting safety car.