The penalty given to Kimi Antonelli during the Las Vegas Grand Prix continues to spark debate within Mercedes. The Italian driver, who staged an incredible comeback from seventeenth on the grid, had finished the race in fourth thanks to a solid pace and careful tyre management. The five-second penalty for an alleged jump start initially dropped him to fifth place, but the disqualification of both McLarens later restored his performance, elevating him onto the podium.
Mercedes telemetry clears Kimi
At Brackley, doubts remain about whether punishing the Bolognese driver was necessary. The W16’s movement at the start was minimal and barely noticeable, appearing consistent with the slight slope of the starting position. Mercedes telemetry shows no abnormal behaviour from Kimi, prompting the team to request clarity from the FIA to better understand the decision.
Fortunately for Antonelli, the decision did not significantly impact his final result, considering everything that unfolded during and after the race in Nevada. His podium was ultimately secured thanks to the double McLaren disqualification, caused by excessive plank wear that the FIA deemed non-compliant after all checks were completed.
The penalty trigger
The incident occurred just before the lights went out, according to the stewards. FIA sensors detected a slight forward movement of the car, which was deemed enough to impose the penalty. Mercedes, however, insists there were no signs of early clutch release or any other preemptive maneuver. The team now awaits a more detailed explanation of how the sensors interpreted the movement.
Wolff: “Kimi did not release the clutch early”
Toto Wolff confirmed that the team saw nothing irregular in their data: “We didn’t notice anything on the clutch, nor any indicators suggesting a jump start. The FIA has sensors, so we’ll see what they report. I’m the only one who noticed a slight movement, but it wasn’t due to clutch release, and it wasn’t caused by lifting off the brake,” the Austrian explained.
He added: “So we’ll see what the FIA tells us.” Wolff also highlighted that Kimi’s race strategy was built around an early stop, made possible by pitting on the second lap: “Starting from seventeenth, we wanted to be aggressive with an early pit. We weren’t sure it was realistic,” Toto explained.
Ultimately, the strategy worked, enabling Antonelli’s impressive comeback. The Italian driver executed an almost flawless race in the W16. “Kimi kept getting faster and overcame the graining issue. In the end, he earned a well-deserved fifth place (before the McLaren disqualification), despite the penalty. Imagine what he could have done if he started further up the grid.”
Encouraging signs for Mercedes
Beyond the sanction, the young driver’s performance confirms his steady growth over recent races. His ability to adapt to different phases of the Grand Prix, manage tyres effectively, and maintain pace until the checkered flag is an encouraging signal for Mercedes. The podium, secured after the McLaren disqualifications, also reflects numerically the value of his efforts during the race.
Another impressive weekend for the 19-year-old Italian, another reminder that the future at Mercedes already looks very bright.
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