FIA reaches verdict on Kimi Antonelli investigation at Australian GP

Mercedes has secured a front-row lockout at the Australian Grand Prix, and has now been fined €7,500 after releasing Kimi Antonelli’s car in an unsafe condition.

The FIA stewards opened a pair of investigations relating to Kimi Antonelli, regarding a potential pit-lane infringement, and an unsafe car as the Italian drove out with coolers still attached to his Mercedes W17.

FIA reaches verdict in Kimi Antonelli Aus GP investigations

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There were rumblings heading into Melbourne that Mercedes was keeping its true pace under wraps.

The Silver Arrows would unleash a level of performance in Australian Grand Prix qualifying that rivals could not live with.

George Russell’s 1:18.518 gave him the first pole of F1 2026. He was three-tenths ahead of his closest challenger, Antonelli, in the sister Mercedes W17, and eight-tenths clear of the highest non-Mercedes qualifier, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar.

The FIA stewards opened an investigation into a potential Antonelli pit-lane infringement, and by Q3, the stewards had grounds for a second investigation.

Antonelli was sent out onto the track with fans still attached to the sidepods. One flew out through the opening chicane and came to rest in the gravel. The other came out on exit, and stayed on the track.

Lando Norris would then run over and shatter that cooler, inflicting damage to the front wing on his McLaren.

Antonelli went on to provisionally secure P2 on the grid, with the team having subsequently been handed a €7,500 fine for releasing his car in an unsafe condition.

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Asked whether he was expecting a penalty for Antonelli, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told Sky F1 of the pit-lane infringement: “I hope not, because it’s not the driver’s fault.

“We had a foot in there, in the fast lane.

“Whatever the outcome is, I would hope it’s a financial penalty.”

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