Oscar Piastri has expressed concern following the FIA stewards’ decision not to penalise Charles Leclerc after their collision at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, July 19, 2026. The incident, which occurred on lap eight at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, resulted in significant damage to Piastri’s McLaren.
The clash unfolded at Turn 5, Les Combes, after the Kemmel Straight. Piastri, utilising overtake mode and battery power, attempted an outside pass on Leclerc.
As Piastri moved alongside, Leclerc defended his position, squeezing the McLaren onto the kerb. This action led to contact between the two cars, with Piastri’s MCL40 sustaining damage to its floor and bargeboard area.
Despite the contact and Piastri’s immediate radio message indicating a lack of racing room, the stewards deemed no further action was necessary.
The FIA’s verdict stated that while Piastri’s car had achieved some overlap, its front axle was not ahead of Leclerc’s. Therefore, the stewards concluded there was no realistic possibility for Piastri to complete the overtake.
Furthermore, the officials determined that Leclerc did not deliberately crowd Piastri off the track. They noted Leclerc followed the racing line by moving slightly left to open up for Turn 5.
Piastri, however, voiced his surprise at the ruling. He stated he was on the white line when squeezed and considered both drivers fortunate to avoid a more severe crash.
‘I don’t really know where I was supposed to go. So, the fact that it was no [further action]… I’m not saying it needed to be a penalty necessarily, but at least a black-and-white flag or something like that.’
The Australian suggested that the lack of a warning, such as a black-and-white flag for unsportsmanlike behaviour, could incentivise drivers to leave minimal space.
The damage to Piastri’s car significantly impacted his race performance. McLaren estimated a loss of five to ten points of downforce, affecting the car’s balance throughout the first stint.
Piastri had a new nose fitted during a pit stop to address the damage, which helped restore some pace. He ultimately finished the Belgian Grand Prix in fifth position.
The decision contrasted with an earlier incident in the same race where Lewis Hamilton received a five-second penalty for a lap one collision with George Russell at Les Combes.
Stewards found Hamilton ‘wholly at fault’ for the Russell incident due to understeer and inability to maintain separation, despite mitigating circumstances for an opening lap clash.
Leclerc, who secured a second-place finish in the race, acknowledged the contact with Piastri was ‘too close for comfort.’
Piastri is contracted with McLaren until at least the end of the 2028 season. Leclerc signed a new multi-year contract extension with Ferrari in June 2026.
