F1 | Oscar Piastri defends himself after Brazil GP collision with Kimi Antonelli: “No mistakes today”. Oscar Piastri defended himself after being blamed for the crash that took Charles Leclerc out.

Oscar Piastri has responded to the criticism that followed the incident during the Brazil Grand Prix, firmly defending his actions and offering his version of events. It was another tough weekend for the Australian driver, who leaves Interlagos after a crash in the Sprint race and now trails his teammate Lando Norris by 24 points in the championship. Adding to his frustration, Oscar Piastri was involved in another chaotic moment during Sunday’s race that led to Charles Leclerc’s retirement.

The Interlagos incident

When the lights went out, Oscar Piastri managed to hold his position at the start, defending himself from the attacks of George Russell’s Mercedes and both Racing Bulls, while putting pressure on Leclerc ahead. The early laps were soon neutralized by a Safety Car, deployed to recover Gabriel Bortoleto’s Sauber from the track.

When the race restarted, the real drama began. As Kimi Antonelli got a poor getaway, he found himself between Piastri and Leclerc. Entering the famous “Senna S,” the McLaren driver braked hard from the inside line, locking up in the process. With no control left over his car, Oscar Piastri hit Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, sending it straight into Leclerc’s Ferrari. The Monegasque’s car suffered front-left suspension damage and was forced to retire immediately from the race.

The race stewards handed Oscar Piastri a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision, effectively ending his chances of fighting for the podium. He eventually crossed the finish line in fifth place, just behind George Russell. However, Oscar Piastri gave a completely different interpretation of what had happened, strongly defending his own driving.

“In my view, I was on the inside,” Oscar Piastri explained. “Yes, I locked up, but I was fully on the apex and didn’t go wide.”

Reflecting on the race, he continued: “It is what it is. It was already a really tough race for me, and that incident made things even worse. Did I make mistakes? Absolutely not! The only mistake was in yesterday’s Sprint; today, I don’t see any problems.”

Despite the penalty and the lost opportunity, Piastri remains confident in his performance and insists that the contact at Interlagos was a racing incident rather than a driving error.