Kimi Antonelli has been issued a three-place grid penalty for the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix following a rule violation during Saturday’s Qualifying session. The championship leader’s penalty comes after an investigation found he failed to slow sufficiently for yellow flags. This incident occurred when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen spun in Q3 at the Hungaroring.
The stewards determined that Antonelli breached Appendix H, Article 2.5.5 b) of the International Sporting Code and B1.8.4a of the FIA F1 Regulations. This penalty means that Antonelli, who had initially qualified fourth fastest, will now start Sunday’s race from P7 on the grid. This adjustment adds to the challenge for Antonelli as he aims to maintain his lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
Details of the Penalty
The post-Qualifying investigation involved a review of all available evidence. The stewards’ document detailed that the driver of Car 12, Antonelli, stated he lifted off the throttle earlier than his previous push lap upon seeing the yellow flag and light panel. This claim was verified by telemetry data.
However, the reduction in speed was deemed to be for a very short period. The car’s speed when passing the scene of Verstappen’s incident was slightly higher than on Antonelli’s previous push lap. While he was 14 km/h slower entering the yellow flag sector due to lifting 16 metres earlier, he was 3 km/h faster when passing the incident site because of less brake application into the corner.
FIA representatives noted that the speed reduction in the mini sector was less than 1%. The stewards considered this incident distinct from others that had resulted in no further action, as there was no significant speed delta through the mini sector compared to the driver’s previous fastest time under similar circumstances.
According to penalty guidelines, the recommended sanction for this offence is a drop of five grid positions. However, in mitigation, the stewards acknowledged that Antonelli did make a reduction in speed, even if it was insufficient and unsustained. They also considered that the driver had limited time and distance to react, leading to a lower penalty being applied.
In a separate incident during Qualifying, Antonelli also received a warning from the stewards for driving unnecessarily slowly on an in-lap.
Impact on the Starting Grid
Antonelli’s three-place grid penalty follows a similar sanction issued to Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton also received a three-place penalty for impeding McLaren rival Oscar Piastri at the end of Q3. Hamilton had been deemed to have obstructed Piastri, leading to his penalty.
The combined penalties have altered the starting order for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The provisional starting grid now sees Lando Norris of McLaren in pole position, followed by Charles Leclerc from Ferrari. Oscar Piastri is set to start third, with Max Verstappen in fourth. Lewis Hamilton will begin the race from fifth, and George Russell of Mercedes will start sixth. Kimi Antonelli will line up in seventh place.
Other notable positions on the grid include Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) in eighth, Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) in ninth, and Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) in tenth. Further down the grid, Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) will start eleventh, followed by Pierre Gasly (Alpine) in twelfth, and Franco Colapinto (Alpine) in thirteenth. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) is in fourteenth, with Esteban Ocon (Haas) in fifteenth. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) is set to start sixteenth, Ollie Bearman (Haas) seventeenth, and Carlos Sainz (Williams) eighteenth. Alex Albon (Williams) will start nineteenth, and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) twentieth. The grid is completed by Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) in twenty-first and Sergio Perez (Cadillac) in twenty-second.
Source: formula1.com
As Latest News UK's Sports Reporter, Hannah Whitfield reports on tennis, cricket and athletics for readers across the country. She built her name covering the county circuit and Team GB at two Commonwealth Games. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from Loughborough University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Hannah lives in Bristol, where she plays club tennis and coaches a junior side. “Sport is at its best when you let the athletes tell the story.”