Charles Leclerc escaped punishment for his lap-eight clash with Oscar Piastri during the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Stewards ruled the Ferrari driver had not deliberately crowded the McLaren off the track. Piastri later said he believed a black-and-white flag warning was warranted.
The incident occurred on lap eight while the pair fought for third place into Les Combes. Piastri attempted an outside pass down the Kemmel Straight, but stewards found he had insufficient overlap and no chance of completing the move. Side-to-side contact damaged Piastri’s floor and cost him pace for the rest of the afternoon.
Stewards reviewed video evidence and concluded Leclerc had stayed on the racing line without forcing Piastri off the circuit. They took no further action, a decision Piastri questioned after the race.
“I was on the white line and got squeezed,” Piastri said. “I’m not saying it needed to be a penalty necessarily, but at least a black-and-white flag or something like that.”
Leclerc went on to finish second behind Kimi Antonelli, while Piastri ended fifth after the damage limited his car’s performance.
