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FIA Announce Late Mercedes Penalty Decision After Front-Row Lockout at Australian Grand Prix
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has issued a late ruling involving Mercedes‑AMG Petronas Formula One Team after the team dominated qualifying for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit.
Mercedes enjoyed an outstanding qualifying session in Melbourne, where George Russell claimed pole position and rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli secured second place, giving the Silver Arrows a front-row lockout. However, the celebrations were briefly overshadowed when Antonelli was summoned by the stewards over two incidents that occurred during the session.
Russell had arrived at the weekend as one of the leading contenders for the 2026 drivers’ championship following impressive pre-season performances. The British driver confirmed that form with a superb lap that earned him pole position, highlighting the strong pace of Mercedes’ new car under Formula 1’s latest technical rules.
Antonelli also impressed in what is his first full campaign in Formula One. Earlier in the weekend, the Italian faced a setback during practice when his car suffered damage, forcing Mercedes mechanics to work quickly to repair it before qualifying. A crash involving Max Verstappen brought out a red flag, which provided the team with valuable extra time to complete the repairs.
Once the session resumed, Antonelli returned to the track and produced a strong lap that secured second place on the starting grid behind Russell, completing an excellent result for Mercedes ahead of Sunday’s race.
Shortly afterward, the FIA opened an investigation when a cooling duct fan was accidentally left attached to Antonelli’s car as it was released from the garage. As the car exited the pit lane and approached the opening corners, the device detached near Turn 1.
The stewards reported that part of the equipment bounced into the gravel trap while another piece landed on the racing line heading toward Turn 2. The debris created a dangerous situation, and another driver later struck it, damaging the car’s front wing and tyre. Race control subsequently red-flagged the session so marshals could safely remove the debris.
After reviewing the situation, the stewards determined that Mercedes had released the car in an unsafe condition. However, Antonelli was not personally penalised. Instead, the team received a €7,500 fine for the procedural error.
Antonelli was also examined for a separate pit-lane incident, but the stewards concluded that no regulations had been broken and decided not to take further action.
Despite the brief controversy, Mercedes will still start the race with both cars on the front row, with Russell on pole and Antonelli alongside him—placing the team in a strong position to begin the new season with a victory in Melbourne.
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