Late FIA penalty switch hands Mercedes F1 team huge title boost after Australian GP

Mercedes have received a major F1 championship boost after the FIA reversed a penalty decision at Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

On what was a chaotic afternoon of racing amid challenging conditions at Albert Park, Lando Norris took the victory in the 2025 Formula 1 season opener.

F1 HEADLINES: Norris slips up as FIA penalty verdict changes Australian Grand Prix result

READ MORE: FIA announce Lewis Hamilton penalty verdict after Australian Grand Prix incident

Defending champion Max Verstappen came home second behind last year's runner-up, ahead of Mercedes star George Russell.

No fewer than six drivers failed to finish the race, including Verstappen's new team-mate Liam Lawson, and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.

One man who did enjoy his afternoon was rookie Kimi Antonelli, who made his debut for Mercedes after taking over from Lewis Hamilton.

The 18-year-old produced a composed performance which belied his age, coming home fourth behind team-mate Russell to secure 12 valuable points for his team.

READ MORE: Safety car deployed after HUGE F1 crash in Melbourne

However, the Italian was deemed by stewards to have made an unsafe release in the pitlane mid-race, thus handing him a five-second penalty which dropped him beneath Alex Albon into fifth spot.

Mercedes subsequently submitted a Right of Review after the grand prix, which saw the penalty overturned and Antonelli moved back up the order.

The result means the Brackley-based outfit sit level on points with reigning constructors' champions McLaren after the first race of the year.

And while Norris' win was enough to see his team end the weekend on top of the pile, it was nevertheless an excellent start to the campaign for Toto Wolff's squad as they laid down an early championship marker.

READ MORE: FIA announce LATE demotion for F1 star at Australian Grand Prix

F1 drivers' standings after the 2025 Australian Grand Prix

1. Lando Norris | McLaren | 25 points
2. Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 18
3. George Russell | Mercedes | 15
4. Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 12
5. Alex Albon | Williams | 10
6. Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 8
7. Nico Hulkenberg [Kick Sauber | 6
8. Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 4
9. Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 2
10. Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1
11. Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 0
12. Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 0
13. Esteban Ocon | Haas | 0
14. Oliver Bearman | Haas | 0
15. Liam Lawson | Red Bull | 0
16. Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 0
17. Carlos Sainz | Williams | 0
18. Jack Doohan | Alpine | 0
19. Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 0
20. Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 0

F1 RESULTS TODAY: Max Verstappen beaten as F1 champion crashes out of thrilling Australian Grand Prix

F1 constructors' standings after 2025 Australian Grand Prix

1. McLaren | 27 points
2. Mercedes | 27
3. Red Bull | 18
4. Williams | 10
5. Aston Martin | 8
6. Sauber | 6
7. Ferrari | 5
8. Alpine | 0
9. Racing Bulls | 0
10. Haas | 0

READ MORE: Ferrari investigation launched after Australian Grand Prix disaster

2025 rule change removes fastest lap point

Fastest lap points have been banished for 2025. Since 2019, drivers have picked up an extra point if they finish in the top 10 and achieve the fastest lap.

However, it did lead to some drivers abandoning their races to pit and fit a set of new tyres at the end in order to claim the fastest lap point, or to stop a rival from getting the extra point.

The most famous example of this in 2024 came during Ricciardo's final F1 race, when the Australian finished last but claimed the fastest lap on the final lap of the Singapore GP, taking the extra point away from Norris and helping Verstappen's title bid.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen and George Russell in tense exchange after Australian Grand Prix

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