FIA announce penalty verdict for Ferrari star after late Imola Grand Prix drama

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc — Photo: © IMAGO

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FIA announce penalty verdict for Ferrari star after late Imola Grand Prix drama

Charles Leclerc handed a place back to Alex Albon

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 18 May 2025 18:56 Updated: 17:56

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has been handed a verdict on a late incident at the Imola Grand Prix, as the FIA released an official statement.

Leclerc and Alex Albon were scrapping for fourth position, with the Thai driver attempting to overtake Leclerc. However, Albon was pushed into the gravel and ended up losing a position to Leclerc's team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Article continues under video

Hamilton then got past Leclerc, with Ferrari telling Leclerc to then hand a position back to Albon as to avoid getting a penalty for what was a potential infringement, with the FIA announcing an investigation.

It has now been revealed that Leclerc faces no further action for the incident, due to the fact that he gave the position back, with the FIA revealing that his actions have ensured that no investigation is necessary.

It meant that Leclerc finished sixth, two positions behind team-mate Hamilton, as the pair produced brilliant comebacks from their 11th and 12th-placed starts following a poor qualifying for the team.

Leclerc disrupts FIA investigation

The official statement from the FIA read that the investigation was halted midway through by Leclerc's decision to give the position back to Albon.

"The stewards reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing and in-car video evidence and determined that it was alleged that car 16 forced car 23 off the track at the exit of turn 2," race stewards said.

"However, before we could conclude our investigations, car 16 voluntarily gave the position back to mitigate the alleged breach. In the circumstances, we took no further action."

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Lewis Hamilton McLaren FIA Charles Leclerc Alex Albon Imola Grand Prix