Piastri handed grid penalty, set to start P5 at Emilia-Romagna GP
Oscar Piastri has been relegated from his initial front-row starting position at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix after being penalized for impeding during qualifying. The rookie sensation had delivered an impressive performance on Saturday, clocking a time just 0.07s shy of reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
Despite his promising effort, Piastri will commence the race in fifth place following a stewards' decision, which found him guilty of obstructing Kevin Magnussen during the first qualifying session (Q1).
This decision ushers in a reshuffled starting grid, with Piastri's teammate Lando Norris, fresh from his victory at the Miami Grand Prix only two weeks ago, ascending to the front row alongside Verstappen. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc moves up to P3, while his teammate Carlos Sainz takes a spot on the second row.
The stewards elaborated on the incident: "Piastri was exiting the pits and Magnussen was on his fast lap. Piastri impeded Magnussen at the chicane at Turns Two and Three."
Piastri explained to the officials that due to the circuit’s configuration, he couldn’t spot Magnussen until it was too late, necessitating a hasty acceleration attempt to clear the path. Magnussen acknowledged the difficulty drivers face in spotting trailing cars at several track sections, including the location in question.
The stewards further noted that Piastri's team failed to alert him of the rapidly approaching Magnussen. "There was an approximately 140km/h speed differential and Magnussen was only approximately 40-50m behind at the time, meaning that Piastri was in the middle of the chicane when Magnussen caught up directly behind Piastri. Further, it was clear that Magnussen was on a fast lap since his exit of Turn 19," the stewards explained.
Concluding their assessment, the stewards stated, "In this instance, the Stewards determine that the lack of sufficient warning caused an 'unnecessary impeding'."
As the grid reshuffles, the Emilia-Romagna GP promises an intriguing contest, with drivers eager to capitalize on their amended starting positions.
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