Oscar Piastri’s starting position for the 2026 F1 Italian Grand Prix has been changed from third to sixth on the grid. FIA stewards determined that Piastri impeded Car 30, driven by Liam Lawson, at Turn 2 during qualifying and imposed a three-place grid drop for his next race.
What happened at Turn 2 according to the FIA
According to the FIA decision, Piastri became aware of Max Verstappen’s push lap and moved to the right to allow Verstappen to pass. However, he failed to avoid Lawson, who was following behind, resulting in an obstruction. The FIA did not consider the incident deliberate, but judged that it was nevertheless an unnecessary obstruction.
The decision recorded a breach of FIA F1 Regulation B4.1.1. The stewards applied the standard penalty of a three-place grid drop. As a result, Piastri’s qualifying position of third, set with a time of 1:21.966, will be moved down by three places.
How the penalty affected the Monza starting order
Because of the decision, Piastri will not start third based on his qualifying result and will instead begin the race from the sixth grid slot. Following Piastri’s demotion, fourth-place qualifier Charles Leclerc and fifth-place qualifier Lewis Hamilton each move up one position.
This change does not mean that Piastri’s qualifying time itself was deleted; it is the result of applying a grid penalty for the obstruction. The starting order could still change depending on any additional announcements or procedures before the race.
Race schedule and what has not yet been confirmed
The 2026 Italian Grand Prix is scheduled to begin at 15:00 local time on September 6 in Monza. The FIA decision states that the parties have the right to appeal the stewards’ decision in accordance with the regulations and applicable deadlines. However, the currently available materials do not include an appeal result, so the final grid should be checked again through a subsequent official announcement before the race starts.