Leclerc Penalty at Brazilian GP: Dropped to P8, Lawson Up to P7
Charles Leclerc has lost seventh place at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Race stewards gave him a five-second time penalty, and Liam Lawson now takes
Charles Leclerc has lost seventh place at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Race stewards gave him a five-second time penalty, and Liam Lawson now takes P7.
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli also received a five-second penalty, for a separate incident. The stewards ruled that his team released him from the pit lane in an unsafe manner.
What happened between Leclerc and Lawson
Leclerc had called his opening stint at Interlagos "horrendous". He spent the rest of the race recovering ground and gradually reeled in the Racing Bulls driver as rain grew heavier.
The two fought tightly for seventh. At Turn 12, the Ferrari driver tapped the left rear wheel of Lawson's car, then swept around the outside to take the position on the penultimate lap.
The stewards' ruling
The stewards held Leclerc responsible for causing the collision. They heard from Leclerc, the driver of car 16, and Lawson, the driver of car 30, along with team representatives.
They decided the contact deserved a time penalty. Lawson, a New Zealander, had crossed the line just under two seconds behind Leclerc. The five seconds were enough to reverse the pair in the classification.
Leclerc is now classified eighth, one place behind Lawson.
Antonelli's penalty was a separate matter. It stemmed from the unsafe release by Mercedes, not from any contact on track.
