A curious team radio from Max Verstappen after the Brazilian Sprint race has sparked questions: did Oscar Piastri deliberately slow Max Verstappen down in the final moments?
The Sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix ended with Lando Norris in first place, after teammate Oscar Piastri allowed him to pass. Max Verstappen finished third, though not without some drama. Starting from pole, Piastri worked to keep Norris within DRS range, allowing him to defend against attacks from Charles Leclerc and then Max Verstappen.
A late Virtual Safety Car, triggered by Nico Hulkenberg’s car stopped off-track, froze the positions. By that time, Max Verstappen had closed in on Oscar Piastri, who seemed to be strategically slowing the Red Bull driver, ensuring Norris stayed clear ahead.
In the penultimate lap under the Virtual Safety car, Verstappen voiced his frustration over the radio, saying to his race engineer, “Keep an eye on this—if he’s slowing down on purpose, report it.” All drivers must observe delta times under a Virtual Safety car, which prohibits intentionally slowing down to help a teammate in front. The VSC was deployed shortly after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri swapped positions, with just four-tenths of a second separating them.
Ironically, the Dutchman himself faces scrutiny for potentially breaching VSC delta time rules. His onboard camera shows an attempted pass on Oscar Piastri while the Virtual Safety car was still in effect. Should this lead to a five-second penalty, Max Verstappen would drop to fourth place, losing valuable points in the drivers’ standings.
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