Sports

Leclerc and Antonelli Receive Five‑Second Penalties After Sao Paulo Grand Prix Incidents

By F1

Charles Leclerc was moved from seventh to eighth place after the stewards imposed a five‑second penalty for causing a collision with Liam Lawson on the final laps of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The Monegasque tapped Lawson’s left rear wheel at Turn 12 and then overtook him five corners later, an action the stewards judged to have enabled the overtaking. The penalty was applied after reviewing driver statements, team representatives, positioning data, and video evidence.

Kimi Antonelli also received a five‑second penalty for an unsafe release from the Mercedes pit lane. The Italian was sent into the path of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, forcing the latter to swerve to avoid contact. Antonelli’s penalty was added to his race time, but he remained in fifth place thanks to a 20‑second advantage over Oscar Piastri.

Haas driver Ollie Bearman was similarly penalised for an unsafe release when Leclerc was passing him in the pit lane, but he retained seventeenth place.

The stewards’ decisions were based on the drivers’ accounts, team representatives, and video evidence, with the penalties reflecting the impact of the incidents on the race outcome.