F1 fans are questioning why Kimi Antonelli didn’t cop a grid penalty for the Australian Grand Prix after a rule breach by Mercedes that led to damage to Lando Norris’ McLaren. Aussie fans were hoping Oscar Piastri might get a boost from fifth to fourth on the grid after officials launched an investigation into Antonelli and Mercedes after Saturday’s qualifying.
Antonelli’s Mercedes was released from the garage in an unsafe condition because a cooling fan was still attached to the right side of the car. The fan detached from the car as he navigated Turn 1, and was left lying on the track.
Oscar Piastri had to settle for fifth on the starting grid for the Australian Grand Prix after Kimi Antonelli avoided a penalty. Image: Getty
Norris then struck the debris, which caused damage to his front wing. Marshals had to intervene and call a yellow flag to the session while the debris was cleared from the track.
The damage to Norris’ car was fairly minor, and he later said he didn’t even see the fan because he was struggling so mightily with the changes that have been made to the cars this year. Stewards launched an investigation after Antonelli qualified second-fastest behind Mercedes teammate George Russell, and many thought a grid penalty might result.
Stewards ruled that Mercedes breached Article B1.6.2 b) i) of the FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, but Antonelli avoided a grid penalty. Instead, Mercedes copped a fine of AU$12,400 for their infringement.
F1 fans furious after Kimi Antonelli avoids grid penalty
It means Antonelli will still line up on the front row, while Piastri will start fifth behind Charles Leclerc (fourth) and Isack Hadjar (third), with Norris sixth. Mercedes said the breach was a total accident and occurred during a frantic push to repair Antonelli’s car following a crash in practice.
But fans were left furious at the punishment dished out. One wrote online: “If that was Verstappen or Hamilton it’d have been a start from the pit lane.” Another wrote: “They have got off very light there! How much is a McLaren wing?”
A third wrote: “That’s hardly a penalty, it caused damage to another car. Drivers points shouldn’t be affected but the Merc points should be halved for the drivers result for an actual penalty.” Others defended Antonelli and said he shouldn’t be punished by a mistake from his team.
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will start on the front row in a Mercedes double.
(NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Piastri will have to defy history if he wants to become the first Aussie to win an F1 race at Albert Park. No driver has won the Australian Grand Prix from outside the top three on the starting grid since Kimi Raikkonen in 2013.
Defending champ Norris launched an extraordinary spray at F1 officials after qualifying, saying: “We’ve come from the best cars ever made in Formula One, and the nicest to drive, to probably the worst. It sucks.
“Everyone knows what the issues are. It’s just the fact the engine is a 50-50 split and it just doesn’t work. You decelerate so much before corners, you have to lift everywhere to make sure the battery pack is at the top level. But if the pack’s too high, you’re also screwed. It’s just difficult.”