Breaking:FIA Orders Ferrari’s star to Return Position to Williams Driver After Late In… read more
“FIA Orders Ferrari’s star to Return Position to Williams Driver After Late In… read more
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has avoided punishment following a controversial late-race incident during the 2025 Imola Grand Prix, where he was involved in a scrap for position with Williams driver Alex Albon. The FIA issued an official statement confirming that no further action would be taken after Leclerc voluntarily returned the position to Albon, a move that effectively ended the investigation into the matter.
The drama unfolded during the closing stages of the race as Leclerc and Albon were engaged in a fierce battle for fourth place. In an aggressive attempt to defend his position, Leclerc forced Albon off the track at the exit of Turn 2, sending the Thai driver briefly into the gravel. As a result, Albon lost momentum and was overtaken by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who had been closing in.
Following the incident, Hamilton also managed to pass Leclerc, moving ahead of both drivers. Shortly after, Ferrari instructed Leclerc over the team radio to relinquish his position back to Albon in an attempt to preempt a possible penalty. The decision to comply with the directive proved crucial, as it satisfied the stewards enough to drop the matter without proceeding to a formal investigation or imposing a sanction.
In their official communication, the FIA revealed that they had reviewed a range of data, including video footage, marshalling system inputs, timing data, and in-car video evidence. According to the stewards, it appeared that car number 16 (Leclerc) had potentially forced car number 23 (Albon) off the track. However, since Leclerc gave back the position of his own accord, the FIA concluded that the alleged infringement had been sufficiently addressed.
The FIA’s official statement read: “The stewards reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing and in-car video evidence and determined that it was alleged that car 16 forced car 23 off the track at the exit of turn 2. However, before we could conclude our investigations, car 16 voluntarily gave the position back to mitigate the alleged breach. In the circumstances, we took no further action.”
This move by Leclerc meant he ultimately finished the race in sixth place, two spots behind his teammate Hamilton, who climbed to fourth. Both Ferrari drivers had started the race from the midfield after a disappointing qualifying session that saw them line up in 11th and 12th places, respectively. Their strong recovery drives were a testament to the team’s strategic execution and the drivers’ resilience.
Leclerc’s quick thinking and Ferrari’s timely instructions allowed the Monegasque driver to avoid a potentially damaging penalty that could have further impacted Ferrari’s standings in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. The FIA’s decision to close the investigation without penalty reinforces the importance of sportsmanship and swift corrective action during contentious on-track situations.
