Mercedes F1 chief blasts Kimi Antonelli penalty at Hungarian Grand Prix

Photo: © IMAGO

Hungarian Grand Prix

Mercedes F1 chief blasts Kimi Antonelli penalty at Hungarian Grand Prix

Antonelli was slapped with a major FIA penalty at the Hungaroring

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 27 July 2026 18:44

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F1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli was forced to deal with a major setback at this year's Hungarian Grand Prix after being hit with a penalty from the FIA stewards.

After qualifying in fourth place on Saturday, the 19-year-old Mercedes star was set to start Sunday's 70-lap race from the second row, but F1's governing body had other ideas.

After the session had concluded, the FIA announced that Antonelli was under investigation for handed failing to slow down sufficiently under yellow flag conditions, triggered by a late crash for Max Verstappen.

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The four-time champion spun his Red Bull right at the end of Q3, with the stewards then finding that Antonelli had failed to slow down enough at Turn 14 when passing Verstappen's stationary vehicle.

As punishment, the Italian teenager had to take a three-place grid drop penalty, pushing him back to P7 for lights out.

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Bono not convinced by 'rough' FIA decision

Ahead of Sunday's race, Sky Sports F1 legend Martin Brundle encountered Antonelli's race engineer and head of race engineering, Peter Bonnington, during his iconic pre-race gridwalk.

When stopping to check in with the Mercedes star and key ally of Antonelli on Sunday afternoon, Brundle asked Bonnington (who is more commonly known as Bono on the grid) whether he felt the three-place grid penalty was a fair decision for his driver.

"Nah, it's a bit rough, but it is what it is," said Bono, who was previously race engineer to seven-time champions Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

Brundle then enquired whether Bono felt the stewards' decision was rough because other drivers had got away without receiving a grid penalty for similar incidents in the past.

Bono replied: "Exactly, you know how it is.

"It used to be the tiniest of lifts. Now it's trying to work out your speed in the mini sector, which is a little bit complicated to do when the accidents happen just in front of you. So yeah, it's a little bit tough."

The FIA have been even more central to the Hungarian GP news cycle this year given they admitted a mistake had been made at the Belgian GP last time out before the competitive track action had even begun at the Hungaroring.

Having chosen not to penalise Ferrari star Charles Leclerc for an incident that damaged Oscar Piastri's McLaren in Spa, the stewards produced an admission that Leclerc should have been penalised after a drivers' meeting in Hungary.