Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has been dealt a significant blow ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix after the FIA handed the Mercedes driver a three-part setback following a post-qualifying investigation.
Antonelli initially secured fourth place in qualifying at the Hungaroring and appeared poised to move up to third after Lewis Hamilton was hit with a separate three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri during Q3. However, the Italian youngster was later called before the stewards over an alleged failure to slow sufficiently under yellow flags caused by Max Verstappen’s late spin.
Following a review of telemetry, onboard footage, and other evidence, the FIA determined that although Antonelli lifted off the throttle when the yellow flags were displayed, the reduction in speed was not significant enough and was not maintained throughout the caution zone. Stewards noted that his mini-sector time was only slightly slower than his previous lap, while his speed at the incident was actually marginally higher.
As a result, Antonelli received a three-place grid penalty, dropping him from fourth to seventh on the starting grid for Sunday’s race. The sanction also wiped out the benefit he would have gained from Hamilton’s earlier penalty, leaving him with a tougher task in the Grand Prix.
The decision completed what has been described as a triple setback for the Mercedes driver. He first missed the opportunity to inherit a higher grid position following Hamilton’s demotion, then received a three-place grid drop of his own, and was also issued an official warning for driving unnecessarily slowly on his in-lap during qualifying, although that offence carried no additional sporting penalty.
The FIA explained that the standard punishment for failing to comply with yellow flags is typically a five-place grid drop. However, because Antonelli did make an effort to reduce his speed and had limited time to react to Verstappen’s spin, the stewards opted for a reduced three-place penalty.
Despite the setback, Antonelli remains at the top of the Formula 1 drivers’ championship and will now have to fight his way forward from seventh on the grid as Mercedes aims to minimise the damage at the Hungaroring. His penalty reshuffles the starting order and adds another layer of intrigue ahead of Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
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