Hungaroring: Antonelli receives grid penalty for Hungarian Grand Prix after yellow flag breach
Grid Penalties Impact Hungarian Grand Prix Starting Order
Kimi Antonelli, the current leader in the F1 championship, has been issued a three-place grid penalty for the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix. This decision follows a rule violation during Saturday’s Qualifying session at the Hungaroring. Antonelli was found to have failed to slow down sufficiently under yellow flags, which were displayed after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen spun during Q3. This breach falls under Appendix H, Article 2.5.5 b) of the International Sporting Code and B1.8.4a of the FIA F1 Regulations.
The penalty means Antonelli, who had initially qualified fourth fastest, will now start Sunday’s race from P7. This adjustment adds to the challenge for the driver as he aims to maintain his lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings. The stewards’ investigation also noted that Antonelli had previously provisionally moved up a spot on the grid due to a separate three-place penalty handed to Lewis Hamilton for impeding McLaren rival Oscar Piastri at the end of Q3.
Stewards’ Review and Rationale
Following a thorough review of all available evidence, the stewards’ document detailed their decision regarding Antonelli’s infringement. The driver of Car 12, Antonelli, stated that upon seeing the yellow flag and light panel, he lifted off the throttle earlier than during his previous push lap. Telemetry data confirmed this action.
However, the stewards observed that the reduction in speed was for a very brief period. Crucially, the car’s speed when passing the scene of Verstappen’s incident was slightly higher than on 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 entering the corner.
FIA representatives highlighted that the speed reduction within the mini sector was less than 1%. The stewards differentiated this incident from others that have not resulted in further action, noting that in this case, 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 type of offence, according to penalty guidelines, is typically a five-grid position drop. However, the stewards applied a lower penalty in mitigation. They considered that Antonelli did reduce his speed, though they determined it was insufficient and unsustained. Additionally, the driver had limited time and distance to react to the situation.
In a separate incident during Qualifying, Antonelli also received a warning from the stewards for driving unnecessarily slowly on an in-lap.
Revised Starting Grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix
The penalties issued to both Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton have altered the starting lineup for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The revised grid positions are 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)
The Hungarian Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday.
Source: formula1.com
Isla Hartley is a Sports Reporter at NewsUK. She covered the British summer of sport from Wimbledon to the Test grounds. She focuses on tennis, cricket and athletics and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. She holds a degree in Sports Studies from the University of Stirling and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Glasgow, she runs half-marathons and follows Scottish athletics. “The overlooked athlete usually has the better story.”
