Kimi Antonelli was penalised by the Method 1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix stewards after the race, having been discovered responsible of violating observe limits greater than 3 times throughout the occasion.
The choice doesn’t change the result of the race for the championship chief, but it surely might have had penalties had he managed to complete the race.
Antonelli began third and spent a lot of the race chasing first Lewis Hamilton after which George Russell. After the Ferrari driver dedicated to a distinct technique, Antonelli closed in on his Mercedes team-mate and the pair battled all through the second half of the race.
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Antonelli discovered his well beyond Russell with simply 5 laps to go, however lengthy earlier than that his race engineer Peter Bonnington had knowledgeable him that he had already amassed three observe limits strikes and urged him to not commit any additional infringements.
As Lando Norris was chasing the Mercedes pair all through the race, his race engineer Will Joseph additionally knowledgeable the McLaren driver that Antonelli was vulnerable to a penalty and inspired him to use extra stress to the teen.
Later, Joseph instructed Norris that Antonelli had undoubtedly exceeded observe limits greater than 3 times and would subsequently obtain a penalty, regardless of no such data having been communicated by race management.
The penalty was solely confirmed after the race, with the stewards issuing Antonelli a five-second sanction. In addition they revealed that one of many infringements had not been detected throughout the race, that means Antonelli solely acquired a black-and-white warning flag after his fourth offence quite than after his third.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, Mercedes
Photograph by: Alastair Staley / LAT Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
“The stewards reviewed video proof,” the decision mentioned.
“The automobile left the observe 4 occasions throughout the race with out justifiable motive. The stewards acknowledge that the motive force didn’t obtain a black/white flag after his third infringement however quite after his fourth infringement as one earlier infringement was solely detected later within the race.
“Nevertheless, primarily based on the present rules and driving requirements tips, this doesn’t exempt the motive force from complying with the rules.”
That implies that had Antonelli managed to complete the race in second place, he might probably have misplaced positions after the race to Russell or probably Norris, had they remained inside 5 seconds of the Italian.
The stewards additionally urged the FIA to “revisit the present procedures and tips as quickly as attainable”, acknowledging that there could also be ambiguity within the present course of.
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With Antonelli retiring shortly after overtaking Russell, the penalty has no sensible impact, as post-race time penalties don’t carry over to the following occasion within the type of grid penalties.
Regardless of recording his first retirement of the season, Antonelli nonetheless leads the championship. Hamilton now trails the Italian by 41 factors, whereas Russell sits third, an additional 9 factors behind.
Pictures from Barcelona-Catalunya GP – Sunday
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