Formula 1 News: Piastri hit with 3-place grid penalty for Imola

Oscar Piastri has been handed a three-place grid drop for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola after impeding Kevin Magnussen during Q1 of Saturday’s qualifying hour.

Both drivers and their respective team representatives were summoned to the stewards following the session to give their take on the incident, which unfolded when Magnussen was on his final flying lap.

Piastri had been exiting the pits before he impeded Magnussen at the chicane at Turns 2 and 3. At the stewards’ hearing, Piastri explained that he could not see the Haas until it was too late due to the layout at that particular area of the track, something that Magnussen also acknowledged.

Piastri’s drop of three grid positions means that he loses his front-row slot alongside pole-sitter Max Verstappen, with the penalty moving him from P2 to P5. This in turn will promote his McLaren teammate Lando Norris to second place.

Also moving up will be the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who will now line up in third and fourth respectively.

Revised Starting Grid

Note – Piastri penalized 3 grid places for impeding another driver during qualifying. Sargeant failed to set a time within the Q1 107% requirement – races at stewards’ discretion.