F1 ENGINE METDOWN: F1 Star Hit with Fine for Speeding at Dutch Grand Prix… Read more
F1 Star Hit with Fine for Speeding at Dutch Grand Prix
Monday 1 September 2025 18:57
A turbulent weekend for Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli at the Dutch Grand Prix ended with yet another setback, as the 19-year-old was fined for speeding in the pit lane following an already disastrous race at Zandvoort.
Formula 1 may be the pinnacle of speed, boasting 20 of the fastest drivers in the world, but the rules remain strict – particularly when it comes to safety in the pit lane. Antonelli, returning from the sport’s summer break alongside the rest of the grid, learned that lesson the hard way as he found himself penalised once more after Sunday’s race.
Speeding fine adds to Antonelli’s woes
The FIA confirmed after the race that Antonelli had been caught driving at 80.3 km/h in the pit lane, exceeding the specially raised limit of 80 km/h by a margin of just 0.3 km/h. While on a normal race weekend the pit lane speed limit is capped at 60 km/h, the governing body had approved an increase to 80 km/h for the Dutch Grand Prix, citing track-specific safety requirements agreed with tyre supplier Pirelli.
Even with the higher threshold, Antonelli found himself in breach of the rules. The stewards issued him a five-second time penalty, adding further insult to injury on a weekend that had already spiralled out of control for the Mercedes teenager.
An official FIA statement clarified the ruling: “Car 12 exceeded the pit lane speed limit, which is set at 80 km/h for this event, by 0.3 km/h. Decision: five-second time penalty.”
Costly collision with Leclerc
The pit-lane speeding incident was not Antonelli’s only misstep of the day. Earlier in the race, he became the centre of controversy after a failed overtaking move on Charles Leclerc at the banked Turn 3. Attempting to force his way past the Ferrari driver, Antonelli made contact and forced Leclerc out of the race entirely.
The crash triggered a safety car and sparked anger from Ferrari, as Leclerc had been well-placed to fight for points before the incident. The stewards wasted little time in handing Antonelli a 10-second time penalty along with two penalty points on his licence, adding to his growing list of punishments.
With the subsequent five-second speeding penalty factored in, Antonelli tumbled down the order and ultimately finished in 16th place, far from the points and leaving Mercedes without any reward for the weekend.
A nightmare weekend for Mercedes’ rising star
For Antonelli, who entered Formula 1 with high expectations as Mercedes’ long-term prospect, the Dutch Grand Prix was a weekend to forget. Not only did he fail to score points, but his errors also highlighted the steep learning curve that comes with racing at the highest level.
The combination of collisions, time penalties, and the pit-lane speeding fine summed up a race of frustration. Team principal Toto Wolff admitted afterward that while Antonelli showed flashes of speed earlier in the weekend, the execution on Sunday left much to be desired.
Lessons to be learned
For young drivers, infractions such as pit-lane speeding can sometimes be attributed to inexperience or misjudgment, particularly when the limit changes from one circuit to another. In Antonelli’s case, the margin of 0.3 km/h suggests a tiny error rather than recklessness, yet Formula 1 rules are enforced to the decimal, with no room for interpretation.
The Italian will now turn his attention to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where he will aim to redeem himself in front of a passionate home crowd. However, he will do so under closer scrutiny, with fans and pundits alike watching to see how he responds to what has been one of the toughest weekends of his young career.
Despite the setbacks, Antonelli remains highly regarded as one of the sport’s brightest prospects. Mistakes are part of the learning curve, but as his Dutch Grand Prix showed, Formula 1’s harsh penalties leave no space for leniency, even when the infraction is measured in tenths of a kilometre.
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