Wolff explains: “Kimi’s penalty was not due to early clutch release”
All’s well that ends well. This certainly applies to Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s challenging weekend in Las Vegas, which ultimately ended with an unexpected result: a podium finish. While the third place came partly due to the double disqualification of the McLaren drivers, Kimi Antonelli also earned it through a solid comeback.
The wet qualifying session and limited experience in such conditions with a Formula 1 car proved costly for the young Bolognese driver, as he was eliminated in Q1 and started 17th on the grid. The following day, however, a complicated sequence of events unfolded. Kimi Antonelli received a 5-second penalty for a jump start, meaning the car moved on the grid before the red lights went out.
Early camera footage made it nearly impossible to detect any movement of Antonelli’s W16 tires. With zoomed-in footage, a small roll of the wheels becomes noticeable. In addition, stewards have access to key sensors. The moment these sensors detect tire movement, they automatically trigger a penalty, as happened in Antonelli’s case.
After the Grand Prix, once Kimi Antonelli celebrated his impressive comeback, Toto Wolff provided key details on what happened at the start in car number 12. According to the Mercedes team principal, the movement of Antonelli’s W16 before the lights went out was not due to early clutch release. Telemetry data showed nothing indicating this possibility.
Another scenario ruled out was a decrease in brake pedal pressure. Here too, telemetry did not record any anomalies during the usual pre-race procedure Antonelli follows.
“We didn’t notice anything unusual with Kimi Antonelli’s clutch, nothing that would lead us to think it caused the irregular start. But, you know, the FIA has sensors. So we’ll see what they reported. For me… maybe I’m the only one who thought there was a bit of movement. But it wasn’t caused by clutch release or brake release. So we need to understand why the FIA penalized Kimi,” Toto Wolff said.
“I think starting from P17 was essentially a defensive move, with an aggressive braking strategy at the start. Initially, we weren’t sure it was realistic, but he kept pushing harder, overcame graining, and eventually reached fifth place (later upgraded to third after the disqualification of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, ed.). That result is well-deserved, even with the penalty. So I’m not sure what could have happened if he’d started further up the grid.”
Toto Wolff, who has consistently defended Kimi Antonelli in front of the press, reiterated the team’s policy with the young Italian throughout 2025, expressing no surprise at the significant improvements seen in the latter part of the season.
“Kimi is 19 years old, and we always said the first season would be challenging. We saw that several times. He was parachuted into one of the top teams without knowing most of the tracks. He felt the pressure, which is why we expected the trajectory he had over the season.”
“Next year will be completely different. It will be a new experience for all the drivers, not just him. Now he knows the tracks, has traveled, and gained experience. Pressure comes with being a driver. He’ll be older, more mature, and everything is going according to plan.” – the Mercedes team boss concluded at the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
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