Was Piastri's 'very harsh' penalty excessive? F1 pundit explains why stewards got it wrong

Max Verstappen made a rare error during the race, losing control of his Red Bull and spinning behind the safety car. Just moments earlier, Piastri had braked hard — a move some believe indirectly contributed to Verstappen’s spin.

"He went on the gas too early on cold tires and lost control," Doornbos analyzed on Ziggo Sport. "It irritated him, you could tell. He communicated that immediately on the team radio."

Although the stewards ultimately handed Piastri a ten-second time penalty for dangerous driving during the restart, Doornbos questioned the decision. He wondered whether Verstappen’s spin played a role in their judgment, even though it wasn’t mentioned in the official FIA report.

"Let's be honest: I think Piastri should have just won. He was punished terribly," the Dutchman said.

The former Red Bull driver thinks that Piastri wanted to warm up his brakes before restarting the race, but the stewards judged that the action – also considering the poor visibility in the rain – was dangerous: "Max was of course startled by it, especially in these conditions, but I found the penalty very harsh. It really hurt."