Kimi Antonelli’s post-race penalty was sensationally overturned.
Australian Grand Prix drama: Antonelli’s penalty overturned after Mercedes enchantment.
Credit score: Shutterstock, Michael Potts F1
The 2025 Australian Grand Prix ended with a twist within the story as Kimi Antonelli’s post-race penalty was sensationally overturned, restoring the younger Italian to fourth place in his gorgeous Method 1 debut.
The 17-year-old Mercedes starlet, who had clawed his approach from sixteenth on the grid to a exceptional fourth-place end, was hit with a five-second penalty after the stewards deemed his pit lane launch into the trail of Nico Hülkenberg unsafe. The penalty noticed him demoted to fifth, elevating Alex Albon within the official classification. Nevertheless, hours later, a Mercedes enchantment turned the tables but once more.
Delight as Mercedes fights again
Not keen to let their prodigy’s dream debut be overshadowed, Mercedes swiftly lodged a petition to overview the penalty. The principles required a ‘vital and related new component’ for a overview to be granted, and Mercedes discovered precisely that.
New footage from Antonelli’s roll hoop digital camera, solely obtainable after the race, supplied essential proof. The stewards acknowledged that Antonelli had not crossed into the quick lane till a lot additional down the pit lane and had checked his mirrors earlier than transferring. With this recent perspective, the penalty was scrapped, reinstating Antonelli’s hard-fought fourth-place end.
Wolff sings Antonelli’s praises
Mercedes workforce principal Toto Wolff was filled with reward for his younger driver’s efficiency and resilience. Chatting with Sky Sports activities F1, he stated: “He had the fortune of some vehicles crashing out, however he used the tempo and confirmed it when he wanted to. He made his approach as much as fourth, and that’s all that issues.”
Antonelli himself mirrored on his rollercoaster debut with maturity past his years. “I learnt so many issues,” he stated. “Yesterday was disappointing, however the race was an amazing expertise. We don’t wish to begin that far again once more, however the workforce did an amazing job preserving me calm and making the best calls.”
Highs and lows for the massive names
Whereas Antonelli’s weekend ended on a excessive, others weren’t so fortunate. McLaren’s Lando Norris claimed victory, preserving Max Verstappen at bay within the last laps. George Russell secured third place, whereas residence hero Oscar Piastri might solely handle ninth after an off-track tour in torrential rain.
For Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s gamble on technique backfired spectacularly. The seven-time world champion might solely handle a disappointing tenth place in his first race for the Scuderia, with team-mate Charles Leclerc faring barely higher in eighth.
F1’s younger gun makes a assertion
Antonelli’s efficiency in Melbourne despatched a transparent message: the hype is actual. The 17-year-old showcased uncooked pace, maturity below strain, and a racer’s intuition that has Mercedes excited in regards to the future. Along with his penalty now erased from the document, he can stroll away from his debut together with his head held excessive – and the F1 world on discover.
Watch this area – Kimi Antonelli has arrived.
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