F1 stewards deliver verdict on Kimi Antonelli yellow flag speeding
Kimi Antonelli learns fate after facing investigation into speeding under yellow flags.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been demoted three grid positions after speeding under yellow flags during Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying.
Antonelli faced a post-qualifying investigation for potentially speeding under yellow flags caused when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen spun off at the final corner at the end of Q3.
The Italian teenager was found guilty of an "insufficient and unsustained" attempt to lower his speed and was slapped with a three-place grid drop, as well as being issued with a penalty point on his licence.
Antonelli insisted he had lifted when he spoke to Sky Sports F1 after qualifying.
"Looking at the lap, I got a gust of tail wind at Turn 9, lost a tenth there and at the last corner, from the previous lap, there was a good tenth-and-a-half because the lap before I didn't maximise the grip,” the Mercedes driver explained.
"The yellow flag came while I was entering the corner so I tried my best to lift. I did lift but gave up quite a bit of minimum speed compared to before. It was a shame.
"P3 would have been for sure but I don't think pole position. I would have been very close, probably half a tenth to Lando but still not good enough for pole."
Antonelli will now drop to seventh. Piastri gains a position to go from third, with Verstappen alongside on the second row in fourth.
Antonelli's Mercedes team-mate George Russell - who heads into Sunday's race 50 points behind the Italian - will start sixth.
The stewards' full verdict
"The driver of Car 12 (Antonelli) stated that on seeing the yellow flag and light panel, he lifted off the throttle earlier than his previous push lap. This was verified by the telemetry," the stewards' verdict read.
"However the reduction in speed occurred for a very short period, and in fact the car’s speed when passing the scene of the incident involving Car 3 (Verstappen), was slightly higher than that on the previous push lap.
"The mini sector time was only 0.03 second slower than his best time for that mini sector, and whilst, because he had lifted 16 metres earlier, he was 14 km/h slower entering the yellow flag sector, but was 3 km/h faster when passing the incident site due to less application of the brakes entering the corner.
"The FIA representatives noted that the speed reduction in the mini sector was less than 1%. The Stewards considered this incident to be different to other incidents that have resulted in no further action, because unlike those cases, there was no significant speed delta through the mini sector compared to the driver’s previous fastest time under similar circumstances.
"The recommended penalty according to the penalty guidelines, for this offence, is a drop of 5 grid positions, however in mitigation of penalty, we considered that the driver did make a reduction in speed, albeit, in our determination, an insufficient and unsustained one.
"Further, the driver had limited time and distance to react. Hence a lower penalty is applied."
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