P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren dealt F1 title fight blow as stewards deliver Piastri verdict
Oscar Piastri was penalized with a five-second time penalty for a false start at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Australian driver started in eighth place but stopped too far ahead in his grid slot at the end of the warm-up lap. Piastri served the penalty on lap 11 before his first pit-stop and re-entered the race in 18th place, trailing Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc by several seconds. This penalty could potentially impact McLaren’s position in the F1 constructors’ championship, especially with both Ferraris fighting for a podium finish. As it stands, with Verstappen in fifth place and Norris in 10th, the Red Bull driver is poised to secure his fourth world title.