Kimi Antonelli has received a three-place grid penalty for the Hungarian Grand Prix after a breach of regulations during Saturday’s Qualifying session. The penalty follows an investigation into an incident where Antonelli failed to slow sufficiently under yellow flags. This decision places him seventh on the starting grid for Sunday’s race.
The incident occurred in Q3 when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen spun, prompting yellow flags. Antonelli, who had initially qualified fourth fastest, was found to have violated Appendix H, Article 2.5.5 b) of the International Sporting Code and B1.8.4a of the FIA F1 Regulations. This penalty means he will start behind George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who also received a three-place grid drop for impeding McLaren rival Oscar Piastri.
Investigation Details
During the post-Qualifying investigation, stewards reviewed telemetry and evidence related to Antonelli’s actions. The driver of Car 12 stated that upon seeing the yellow flag and light panel, he lifted off the throttle earlier than on his previous push lap. Telemetry confirmed this initial reduction in throttle application.
However, the reduction in speed was deemed insufficient and unsustained. The car’s speed when passing the scene of Verstappen’s incident was slightly higher than during Antonelli’s previous push lap. The mini sector time was only 0.03 seconds slower than his best time for that mini sector. 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 have resulted in no further action, primarily because there was no significant speed delta through the mini sector compared to the driver’s previous fastest time under similar circumstances. The recommended penalty for this offence, according to penalty guidelines, is a five-grid position drop.
Despite the recommended penalty, the stewards applied a lower penalty of three grid positions. This mitigation was due to the driver making a reduction in speed, even if it was determined to be insufficient and unsustained. Additionally, the stewards acknowledged that Antonelli had limited time and distance to react to the yellow flag situation. This decision impacts his position as the F1 championship leader, adding to the challenge of extending his lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
Impact on the Starting Grid
The penalties issued to both Antonelli and Hamilton have reshaped the starting grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Antonelli’s three-place drop moves him from fourth to seventh. Hamilton’s similar penalty, issued for obstructing Oscar Piastri in Q3, also affected the provisional grid.
The revised starting grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix is as follows:
- 1 Lando Norris (McLaren)
- 2 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 3 Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- 4 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 5 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- 6 George Russell (Mercedes)
- 7 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- 8 Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
- 9 Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
- 10 Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
- 11 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
- 12 Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- 13 Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
- 14 Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
- 15 Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- 16 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- 17 Ollie Bearman (Haas)
- 18 Carlos Sainz (Williams)
- 19 Alex Albon (Williams)
- 20 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- 21 Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
- 22 Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
In a separate incident during Qualifying, Antonelli also received a warning from the stewards for driving unnecessarily slowly on an in-lap.
Source: formula1.com