Kimi Antonelli has been issued a three-place grid penalty for the Hungarian Grand Prix following a rule infraction during Saturday’s Qualifying session. The penalty was imposed after an investigation found that Antonelli did not slow down sufficiently for yellow flags. These flags were deployed when Max Verstappen spun in Q3.
The stewards’ decision cited a breach of Appendix H, Article 2.5.5 b) of the International Sporting Code and B1.8.4a of the FIA F1 Regulations. Antonelli had originally qualified fourth fastest, which would have moved him up to third on the grid due to Lewis Hamilton’s own three-place penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri.
Stewards’ Findings and Penalty Mitigation
During the post-Qualifying investigation, Antonelli stated that he lifted off the throttle earlier than his previous lap upon seeing the yellow flag and light panel. Telemetry data confirmed this action. However, the reduction in speed was brief, and his car’s speed when passing the incident site involving Verstappen was slightly higher than his previous push lap.
The stewards noted that 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. The FIA representatives observed that the speed reduction in the mini sector was less than 1%.
The penalty guidelines for this offence recommend a five-grid position drop. However, the stewards considered mitigating factors. They acknowledged that Antonelli did reduce his speed, even if it was deemed insufficient and unsustained. Additionally, he had limited time and distance to react to the situation, leading to a lower penalty being applied.
As a result of this penalty, Antonelli will now start Sunday’s race from P7. This adds to the challenge for the championship leader as he aims to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings. 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
The penalties issued to both Antonelli and Hamilton have altered the starting grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Lando Norris will start from pole position, followed by Charles Leclerc in second and Oscar Piastri in third. Max Verstappen is set to begin the race from fourth place.
Lewis Hamilton will start from fifth position, with George Russell in sixth. Kimi Antonelli’s penalty places him in seventh on the grid. The rest of the top ten includes Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad, and Nico Hulkenberg.
Further down the grid, Liam Lawson will start 11th, followed by Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto. Gabriel Bortoleto is in 14th, with Esteban Ocon in 15th. Fernando Alonso is slated to start 16th, ahead of Ollie Bearman, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, and Lance Stroll. The final two positions on the grid are occupied by Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.
The grid adjustments set the stage for Sunday’s race at the Hungaroring.
Source: formula1.com
