The McLaren driver received a five second time penalty at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix because he jumped the start, the same penalty that was given to Fernando Alonso.

Normally, a driver serves this penalty during the race by either stopping in the pit lane, as Alonso did, or having it added to their race time. However, Piastri’s race ended almost immediately after he crashed at Turn 5 on the first lap, so he was unable to serve the penalty.

Because he could not serve the penalty, some people wondered if it would be carried over to the next race. In the past, this could have happened. Formula 1 rules used to allow a driver who retired without serving a five second time penalty to be given a grid penalty at their next race, usually dropping them three places on the starting grid.

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But the rules changed last year. The new system says that if a driver has only a single five second penalty and cannot serve it because of a retirement, it will not be carried over. Only longer penalties, like ten seconds, or multiple five second penalties can be converted into a grid penalty.

The reason for this change is that a five second penalty is considered a minor punishment. Carrying it over to the next race would be unfair if the driver did not gain any advantage from the original mistake. In Piastri’s case, jumping the start actually cost him time. After moving too early, he had to stop and resolve an anti-stall problem before crashing into the barrier. He did not affect any other driver’s race before retiring.

The updated rules make it clear that Piastri’s penalty from Baku does not carry forward. He will start the Singapore Grand Prix without any leftover punishment and can focus on competing freely in the race. This system aims to be fair and ensures that small mistakes, especially those that do not affect other drivers, do not carry unnecessary consequences into future races.