Championship leader Oscar Piastri has been given a reprimand after the stewards ruled he failed to slow sufficiently for yellow flags during the practice.
They found Piastri did not reduce his speed enough when yellow flags were displayed at turn one due to Pierre Gasly running wide at the corner. However as Piastri was only briefly within an area covered by yellow flags, and was only aware of the situation he was in because he saw the green flag at the end of the zone, the stewards chose to give him a less severe penalty than a grid drop.
“A yellow flag was displayed at Marshal Post 1.2 and green light was shown at light panel three,” the stewards explained in their decision. “Drivers had been instructed that if they see a green light they must take the action required under a yellow flag condition even if they had not been shown the yellow flag.
“In this case, the driver had passed Marshal Post 1.2 when the yellow flag was shown for the first time but was able to see the green light at light panel three. The yellow flag was withdrawn less than one second after the green light became visible to the driver.
“Therefore technically a breach of the regulations has occurred however because of the mitigating circumstances above, the penalty imposed is reduced to a reprimand. This is consistent with previous similar incidents.”
The stewards have previously issued grid drops in more egregious cases of drivers failing to slow for yellow flags. Lewis Hamilton served a five-place grid drop at the last race for failing to slow sufficiently for yellow flags during a reconnaissance lap at the round prior to that.
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Gasly could see Piastri’s car as he rejoined the track
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2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
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