Kimi Antonelli has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix after the stewards ruled that he failed to slow sufficiently under a single yellow flag during Q3. The Mercedes driver drops to seventh on the grid, while Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell each gain one position.
The championship leader was also given one penalty point on his Super Licence, taking his total to four over the current 12-month period. Although telemetry confirmed that Kimi Antonelli lifted off the accelerator earlier than on his previous flying lap, the stewards concluded that his speed reduction was too small and was not maintained for long enough.
Kimi Antonelli receives Hungarian GP grid penalty
Just when the qualifying investigations appeared to have concluded, Kimi Antonelli’s evening — and his prospects for the following day’s Hungarian Grand Prix — suffered a significant setback.
The Mercedes driver received a three-place grid penalty, to be served at the first Grand Prix in which he participates, which in this case is the Hungarian Grand Prix. The sanction was imposed because he did not reduce his speed sufficiently under a single yellow flag at Turn 14 during his final Q3 qualifying attempt.
The Italian driver was found to have breached Appendix H, Article 2.5.5 b) of the International Sporting Code and Article B1.8.4a of the FIA Formula 1 Regulations. The incident also added one penalty point to his Super Licence.
The decision comes at an important stage of a season in which Mercedes have also faced questions over how the team manage their two drivers, including whether Kimi Antonelli is treated differently from George Russell.
FIA telemetry reveals why Antonelli’s lift was insufficient
Kimi Antonelli was only 0.03 seconds slower than his personal best through the same mini-sector. Although he lifted off the accelerator 16 metres earlier and entered the yellow-flag sector 14 km/h slower, he was still travelling 3 km/h faster when passing the scene of the incident.
The stewards attributed that difference to less forceful braking on the approach to the corner. FIA representatives calculated that his reduction in speed through the mini-sector amounted to less than one per cent.
“The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 12 (Kimi Antonelli), a team representative, the FIA Formula 1 Race Director and the Sporting Director of the FIA Single-Seater Department. They also examined positioning and marshalling system data, video footage, timing data, telemetry and onboard camera footage.
“The driver of Car 12 stated that, after seeing the yellow flag and light panel, he lifted off the accelerator earlier than on his previous flying lap. This was confirmed by the telemetry data.
“However, the speed reduction lasted for a very short period and, in fact, the speed of the car when it passed the scene of the incident involving Car 3 was slightly higher than that recorded on the previous flying lap.
“The time through the mini-sector was only 0.03 seconds slower than his best time in the same mini-sector. Furthermore, although lifting off the accelerator 16 metres earlier meant the car was 14 km/h slower at the entry to the yellow-flag sector, it was 3 km/h faster when passing the scene of the incident due to less use of the brakes on corner entry.
“The FIA representatives noted that the reduction in speed through the mini-sector was less than one per cent.
“The Stewards considered this incident to be different from other cases in which no further action was taken because, unlike those precedents, there was no significant speed difference through the mini-sector compared with the driver’s previous best lap in similar circumstances.”
Why the stewards reduced the recommended five-place penalty
The penalty guidelines recommend a five-place grid drop for this type of infringement. However, the stewards accepted that Kimi Antonelli had made an attempt to reduce his speed, even though they judged that the reduction was insufficient and not maintained.
“The penalty recommended by the guidelines for this type of infringement is a five-place grid penalty. However, in mitigation, the Stewards considered that the driver did reduce his speed, although, in their view, the reduction was insufficient and was not sustained.
“They also took into account that the driver had limited time and distance in which to react. For this reason, a lesser penalty was applied.”
The revised starting order promotes Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen onto the second row. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will share the third row, while Kimi Antonelli drops to seventh.
The penalty could also carry championship implications, with the updated positions placing several of Antonelli’s closest rivals ahead of him at the start. The latest overall order can be followed through the 2026 Formula 1 driver standings.
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