Piastri furious over 'unacceptable' circumstances behind Sainz clash

The collision between Sainz and Piastri during the Hungarian Grand Prix continued to generate debate after the race, with the FIA acknowledging mitigating circumstances in the Spaniard's favour due to the blue-flag system issues and handing him a reduced penalty. Despite that, the incident ultimately compromised the race of what had been the race leader up until that point.

Speaking to GPblog among others after the race, Piastri did not hide his frustration over the incident, saying he could not believe what had happened. The Australian described being hit by a lapped car as something no driver expects while fighting at the front and insisted it was unacceptable that Sainz failed to see him, regardless of the circumstances. He also said the lack of awareness surrounding the situation was simply not 'acceptable'.

Speaking to GPblog among others, Sainz apologised to Piastri for the incident but insisted the circumstances surrounding the clash needed to be taken into account. The Spaniard explained that the problems with the blue-flag system made the situation particularly difficult, leaving him unaware that the McLaren was alongside as the overtake unfolded. He also accepted the five-second penalty, saying it had little impact given where he was running.

Looking back on the collision, Sainz described it as an unfortunate racing incident rather than an avoidable mistake. He added that he expected Piastri to understand how the contact came about and stressed that the Australian's eventual retirement was unrelated to the collision itself.