Australian Grand Prix: FIA issue multiple grid penalties at 2025 season opener

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FIA issue multiple grid penalties at Australian Grand Prix

The FIA have already dished out a series of severe penalties in Melbourne

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 14 March 2025 08:26 Updated: 07:26

Three teams have already been penalised by the FIA ahead of the Formula 1 2025 season opener at the Australian Grand Prix.

Not only will the F1 season get away in Melbourne, but the stars of support series' Formula 2 and Formula 3 will also make their debut this weekend at Albert Park.

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The 2025 F1 grid is well represented with a host of F2 graduates, including Ollie Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto, who all earnt F1 seats after a successful 2024 season.

Whilst Bortoleto claimed the F2 title in 2024, it is perhaps Antonelli who has garnered the most attention after he replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, and has the chance of driving in a race winning seat during his rookie season.

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F2 driver Arvid Lindblad acquired his Super Licence over the winter break

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FIA award first Formula 2 penalties of 2025

Amongst the F2 stars hopeful to emulate their predecessors and claim an F1 seat, are Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad, and 2024 F3 champion Leonardo Fornaroli.

The first race of the 2025 F2 season is yet to get underway, with the sprint race taking place on Saturday in Melbourne, but three teams have already been penalised by the FIA during pre-season testing.

DAMS Lucas Oil, Rodin Motorsport, and TRIDENT were found to have broken Article 10.2a of the sporting regulations alongside Article 1.5.2, Article 8.4.10 and Article 8.4.11 of the technical regulations.

The cars of Jak Crawford, Amaury Cordeel, Alex Dunne and Max Esterson had been modified with an air pressure sensor installed via the drilling of holes in the diffusor, which coveys the airflow beneath it into the pipeline of the pressure sensor.

All three teams have been fined €10,000 per car, and the FIA also decided that both cars in each team will serve a 10-place-grid penalty during both the sprint and feature race in Melbourne, due to the unfair advantage of the sensor that their rivals did not possess.

Alongside these penalties, the stewards have also recommended that rival teams have the opportunity to apply for permission to use similar sensors during in-season testing in Bahrain, with the three penalised teams also restricted to two days of running.

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