Leclerc given five-second penalty after Sao Paulo GP; Antonelli and Bearman also penalised

Stewards of the FIA, motorsport's governing body, handed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc a five-second penalty after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, a round of the Formula 1 world championship held in Brazil, for a collision with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson. The penalty dropped Leclerc from seventh place to eighth, while Lawson moved up to seventh. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli and Haas driver Oliver Bearman were also penalised, though their finishing positions stayed the same.

Incident at Turn 12

The contact happened on lap 69 of the race, as the two fought for seventh place at Turn 12, known as "Juncao". The cars touched but both kept going and reached the finish. The collision allowed Leclerc to get past Lawson.

In their official statement, the stewards said the contact was minor and Lawson was able to hold his position. Lawson later said, however, that it damaged his car's rear left rim, which let Leclerc get closer and overtake him five corners later. Under the driving standards guidelines, Lawson was entitled to the racing line through the corner, and Leclerc should have taken the necessary steps to avoid a collision.

Because of the difficult wet conditions and the minor nature of the contact, the stewards chose a five-second penalty instead of the standard ten seconds.

Antonelli and Bearman penalties

Antonelli, the reigning world champion, and Bearman were penalised for unsafe releases from the pits. Antonelli was punished for leaving in the path of Franco Colapinto during his final pit stop, while Bearman was punished for leaving in front of Leclerc. Antonelli kept fifth place because he had a big enough gap over the drivers behind, and Bearman finished 17th.

Results

McLaren's Lando Norris won the race, with Max Verstappen of Red Bull second and his team-mate Isack Hadjar third. In the drivers' standings, Antonelli leads with 380 points, Verstappen is second with 279, and Mercedes driver George Russell is third with 262.