Oscar Piastri has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the Italian Grand Prix after impeding Liam Lawson during qualifying at Monza. The McLaren driver had initially secured a strong third place on the grid.
The stewards ruled that Piastri unnecessarily blocked Lawson, who was on a flying lap in Q2, ruining his chance to progress further.
The Incident at Turn 1 Entry
The trouble began when Lawson and Max Verstappen deliberately left the pits early to get a tow on Monza's long straights. As Lawson approached Turn 1 at high speed, he encountered Piastri, who was just joining the track from the pit exit.
Piastri, unaware of Lawson's presence, forced the New Zealander to back off and lose crucial momentum. As a result, Lawson was eliminated in Q2, unable to advance to the top-ten shootout.
Stewards' Decision and Piastri's Explanation
In their official statement, the stewards noted that Piastri admitted he was not informed that Lawson and Verstappen were on push laps. He had been warned of their presence but did not realize their intention to go for a quick time.
Nevertheless, the regulations are clear. The stewards accepted that Piastri's action was unintentional but still unnecessary, and imposed the standard three-place grid drop.
With this penalty, Piastri will now start the race from sixth position, while Lawson, who was already eliminated, remains at the back. This sanction is a significant blow for McLaren, which had shown competitive pace during qualifying.
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