The FIA stewards issued five-second time penalties to three drivers following post-race investigations at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, RacingNews365 reported.
The decisions altered the final classification for two drivers, with Charles Leclerc dropping from seventh to eighth and Liam Lawson promoted to seventh.
Leclerc Penalized for Lawson Contact
Leclerc received a five-second penalty for a collision with Liam Lawson during the final laps of the race. The incident occurred as the two drivers battled for the seventh position on the approach to the start-finish line. Leclerc moved to the inside, made contact with Lawson’s rear wheel, and completed the pass.
Despite both drivers appearing unconcerned about the contact after the race, the stewards determined Leclerc was responsible for the collision. Max Verstappen commented in the cooldown room that “rubbing is racing,” but the stewards felt a post-race review was necessary. The penalty gave Lawson, the Racing Bulls driver, the seventh-place finish.
Leclerc fell to eighth, with the margin between them at the finish being just 1.816 seconds, according to Motorsport.com. The stewards investigated the incident for a potential “causing a collision,” and Leclerc had to give his account to the stewards panel of Nish Shetty, Loïc Bacquelaine, Vitantonio Liuzzi, and Felipe Maluh.
Bearman Penalty for Unsafe Pit Release
Oliver Bearman was penalized five seconds for an unsafe release during a pit stop. The Ferrari junior was let onto the track while Leclerc was exiting his own pit box, forcing the Ferrari driver to take evasive action. The stewards determined Bearman’s team was at fault for the dangerous maneuver.
The penalty had no impact on the final results, as Bearman finished 17th for the Haas team. The incident was one of three that race control was unable to resolve during the event and referred to the stewards for a decision after the checkered flag, RacingNews365 noted. Bearman and the Haas team had to present their case to the stewards regarding the unsafe release.
Antonelli Penalized for Colapinto Pit Incident
World champion Kimi Antonelli was also handed a five-second penalty for an unsafe release that nearly caused a collision with Franco Colapinto. Mercedes released Antonelli from his pit box as the Alpine driver was passing on the pit lane. Antonelli had to swerve sharply to avoid a crash, a move the stewards deemed a loss of control.
The stewards found Mercedes responsible for creating the hazardous situation. The penalty did not affect Antonelli’s final position, as he finished fifth with a comfortable margin over Oscar Piastri. Antonelli and a Mercedes representative met with the stewards at 16:30 local time to explain the unsafe release.
Mercedes stuurde Antonelli away from his pit box on the moment that Alpine-coureur Franco Colapinto was approaching, which also meant the Argentine had to give his side of the story.
Other Stewards Actions
Alexander Albon received a five-second penalty and two superlicense points for an incident involving Pierre Gasly. The Williams driver ran wide at Turn 2 and rejoined the track in a manner that forced Gasly to brake hard to avoid a collision. The stewards concluded Gasly should not have had to yield space to a car rejoining the track. Albon’s superlicense points total rose to three in the past twelve months.
Rafael Camara, making his F1 debut with Haas, was given a reprimand for a dangerous driving maneuver during the second free practice session.
The stewards determined the Brazilian rookie, who had been warned multiple times by his team about traffic, had not moved aside quickly enough for Leclerc, forcing the Ferrari driver onto the dirty part of the circuit to avoid a collision, GPToday.net reported. The stewards found Camara’s action so severe they issued a reprimand, a step beyond the standard warning for such an offense.
Mercedes Secured Ninth Constructors' Championship Title Despite Infractions
The panel overseeing the investigations was composed of Nish Shetty, Loïc Bacquelaine, Vitantonio Liuzzi, and Felipe Maluh. Mercedes secured its ninth constructors’ championship title during the weekend in Brazil, a fact highlighted by Motorsport.com, despite the team’s pit lane infractions.
Related reading
