Leclerc and Antonelli Get 5-Second Penalties After Sao Paulo GP
Charles Leclerc dropped from seventh to eighth and Kimi Antonelli received a five-second penalty after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Stewards ruled Leclerc caused a collision with Liam Lawson, and that Mercedes released Antonelli unsafely in the pit lane. Antonelli kept fifth place.
Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli were handed five-second time penalties by the stewards after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, in a Brazil race run in worsening rain. Leclerc dropped from seventh to eighth. Antonelli kept fifth.
Leclerc was held responsible for a collision with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson in the closing laps. Antonelli was penalized because Mercedes released him unsafely in the pit lane.
Leclerc and Lawson swap places
Leclerc had called his opening stint "horrendous". He recovered steadily and closed on Lawson as the rain increased.
The Monegasque tapped the left rear wheel of Lawson's car at Turn 12. He then swept around the outside to take seventh on the penultimate lap.
Lawson crossed the line just under two seconds behind. With the penalty applied, the pair swapped places in the classification.
The stewards heard from both drivers and team representatives. They reviewed positioning and marshalling system data, plus video and in-car footage.
Their verdict said the contact was minor but had an "obvious sporting consequence". They concluded Leclerc was able to get closer and overtake five corners later because of it. Lawson, they said, had the right to the corner under the Driving Standard Guidelines.
Leclerc argued it was minor contact with no obvious sporting consequence. The stewards noted that Lawson claimed damage to his rear left rim.
The wet conditions and the minor nature of the contact were taken into account. That is why the penalty was five seconds rather than 10.
Antonelli's unsafe release
Mercedes inadvertently sent Antonelli into the path of Alpine's Franco Colapinto in the pit lane. The Italian had to swerve to avoid contact.
The stewards found that Antonelli momentarily lost control on the slippery surface and had to take evasive action. They said that created a potentially unsafe situation. The team acknowledged the release "could have been handled better and in a safer manner".
Five seconds were added to his race time. He keeps P5 because he had a 20-second advantage over sixth-placed Oscar Piastri.
Bearman also punished
Haas driver Ollie Bearman also received a five-second penalty for an unsafe release. It came just as Leclerc was passing him in the pit lane.
Bearman held on to P17 because of his lead over Cadillac's Sergio Perez. It was still a missed chance of points after he started from a career-best sixth on the grid.
