Budapest: Antonelli receives grid penalty for Hungarian GP after yellow flag breach
Kimi Antonelli has been issued a three-place grid penalty for the Hungarian Grand Prix following a rule violation during Saturday’s Qualifying session at the Hungaroring. This penalty means Antonelli, who initially qualified fourth fastest, will now start Sunday’s race from P7.
The penalty stems from an investigation where Antonelli was found to have not slowed sufficiently for yellow flags. These flags were deployed after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen spun in Q3. The stewards determined that Antonelli breached Appendix H, Article 2.5.5 b) of the International Sporting Code and B1.8.4a of the FIA F1 Regulations.
Details of the Yellow Flag Incident
During the post-Qualifying investigation, the stewards reviewed all available evidence, including telemetry data. Antonelli stated that upon seeing the yellow flag and light panel, he lifted off the throttle earlier than during his previous push lap. This action was verified by the telemetry.
However, the reduction in speed was deemed insufficient and unsustained. The stewards noted that the car’s speed when passing the scene of Verstappen’s incident was slightly higher than on Antonelli’s previous push lap. While he was 14 km/h slower entering the yellow flag sector due to lifting off 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 highlighted that the speed reduction in the mini sector was less than 1%. The mini sector time was only 0.03 seconds slower than his best time for that mini sector. The stewards differentiated this incident from others where no further action was taken, as 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, in mitigation, the stewards acknowledged that Antonelli did make some reduction in speed, despite it being insufficient. They also considered that the driver had limited time and distance to react, which led to a lower penalty being applied.
Impact on the Starting Grid
Antonelli’s three-place grid penalty means he will drop from his provisional fourth-place qualifying position to P7 for the race. This adds to the challenge for the F1 championship leader as he aims to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
This penalty follows another grid drop issued to Lewis Hamilton, who also received a three-place penalty for impeding McLaren rival Oscar Piastri at the end of Q3. Hamilton had initially been second fastest in qualifying.
The revised starting grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix is as follows:
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
- Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
- Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
- Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Ollie Bearman (Haas)
- Carlos Sainz (Williams)
- Alex Albon (Williams)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
- Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
In a separate incident during Qualifying, Antonelli also received a warning from the stewards for driving unnecessarily slowly on an in-lap.
The penalties for both Antonelli and Hamilton have significantly altered the initial grid positions for the upcoming race on Sunday.
Source: formula1.com
Amelia Stockwell is a Sports Reporter at News GB. She covered two Commonwealth Games for a national outlet. She focuses on tennis, cricket and athletics and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of York and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in York, she runs with a local club and follows county cricket. “The quiet stories often matter most by the end of the season.”
