David Coulthard claims “harsh” steward call may “decide F1 championship”

David Coulthard insists the key decision taken by stewards at the F1 British Grand Prix could decide the championship.

Oscar Piastri was leading at Silverstone when he was hit with a 10-second time penalty for braking under Safety Car conditions.

He ultimately conceded victory to McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who cut the deficit to championship leader Piastri as a result.

Ex-British Grand Prix winner Coulthard believes Piastri has been harshly treated.

“When you’re behind the Safety Car with the lights on, you have to keep within 10 car lengths of that Safety Car. Keeping the field going with you,” he told Channel 4.

“Once the Safety Car lights go out, you then control the pace of the restart. You want to allow the Safety Car to get off into the pitlane.

“It’s the fact that he has accelerated then decelerated that has caught Max Verstappen out.

“He decelerated in the middle of the road. Max had space, it’s not like he went off into the grass.

“But that was enough to say ‘erratic behaviour’.

“Do I think the penalty fits the crime? No.

“If it’s consistent with things in the past, it should be a smaller penalty.

“He hasn’t forced anyone off the road.

“Seeing from Max’s point of view? He hasn’t had to lock up or take massively evasive action.

“I will forever think that’s harsh unless someone convinces me otherwise.”

Max Verstappen comparison made

The incident was compared to an identical punishment which was given to Verstappen at the F1 Spanish Grand Prix.

Except in his case, it was after contact was made with George Russell.

Billy Monger told Channel 4 about Piastri: “I felt it was a penalty. Visibility was low, that comes into factor as well.

“When you compare the penalty that Verstappen got in Barcelona when he forced Russell off? It was a 10-second penalty, exactly the same as Oscar.

“When you compare those penalties, it feels harsh.”

Coulthard insisted: “That could decide the championship, that’s how significant it is.

“Finding consistency with penalties, and the penalty fitting the crime, is so important.

“Driving someone off the track clearly should have a much bigger penalty than deciding acceleration or deceleration.”

Piastri left the British Grand Prix unusually angry and insisting his penalty was unwarranted.

The wider feel within the F1 paddock was that the stewards were correct to penalise him for severe braking behind the Safety Car. But the severity of the penalty has been debated.

Piastri now only has an eight point lead at the top of the F1 standings.