Oscar Piastri fears F1 race ban after British Grand Prix punishment

On a momentous day for McLaren at the British Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri was visibly livid after crossing the chequered line behind victorious teammate Lando Norris. Piastri was in a strong position to extend his lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship before receiving a costly 10-second time penalty due to an incident involving Max Verstappen.

The Aussie started second on the grid behind Verstappen but took advantage of his superior speed to overtake the Red Bull man on lap eight. But the British GP descended into chaos as rain swept across Silverstone, sparking multiple yellow flags and safety cars to add to the unpredictability.

Piastri then produced a clumsy error at the Hangar Straight in sector three as the safety car entered the pit lane on lap 21.

The 24-year-old braked heavily behind the safety car, forcing Verstappen to do the same to avoid a collision, which understandably prompted a complaint.

On the Red Bull team radio, Verstappen reacted: "Woah, mate. He just suddenly again slows down!"

The stewards agreed that it was a mistake on Piastri's behalf and slapped him with a 10-second time penalty to gift Norris the race lead.

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Norris ultimately made use of the golden opportunity to soar to his first-ever British GP triumph on home soil, marking an unforgettable afternoon for the Bristol-born driver and his family.

Amid the McLaren celebrations, Piastri tried his best to conceal his anger over the events, telling his team over the radio on his cooldown lap: "I think I'll get banned if I say anything about it here."

He put on a sportsmanlike face after exiting his car to congratulate Norris and Kick Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, who pipped Lewis Hamilton to third.

The 37-year-old conjured up an incredible drive from P19 to fend off the Ferrari superstar and achieve a maiden podium finish in his 239th race.

But Piastri also cut a deeply frustrated figure in his post-race interview on Sky Sports, offering a similar reaction to that in the car.

"I'm not going to say much. I'll get myself in trouble," the championship leader told Jenson Button.

"Apparently, you're not allowed to brake behind the safety car anymore. I did it before for five laps. Heck it. I'm not going to say too much, I'll get myself in trouble."

Piastri's lead over Norris at the standings summit has been slashed to just eight points ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix on July 27.