Did Verstappen really have to avoid Piastri in controversial Safety Car episode?

During the safety car period at Silverstone, Piastri suddenly braked hard while the field was preparing for the race restart. Verstappen, right behind him, immediately voiced his concern over team radio, calling the move dangerous. The FIA later handed Piastri a ten-second penalty for dangerous driving.

But according to the McLaren driver, the stewards' explanation is incorrect: ''I don't think he had to evade me. I think he managed the first time,'' says Piastri, referring to Verstappen. ''Going back to Canada, I think you had to evade more there than you did today. So, yeah, I'm a bit confused to say the least.''

Piastri referred to a similar incident during the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, where George Russell braked abruptly, causing Verstappen to partially overtake him. In that case, the stewards took no action and even dismissed a protest from Red Bull after the race.

Data showed that Piastri braked significantly harder than Russell, and did so under conditions with limited visibility.

Another notable moment came when Piastri requested team orders over the radio, asking Lando Norris — who had inherited the lead due to Piastri’s penalty — to give the position back. In hindsight, Piastri understands why the team didn’t grant his request.

Finally, he added: ''It doesn't change much for the championship. I feel like I did a good job today. I did what I needed to. That's all I need, and I will use the frustration to make sure I win some more races later.''