Kimi Antonelli seemed to have committed four violations of track limits during the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, yet he managed to evade a penalty.
This decision left many spectators confused at the conclusion of the race; however, the typical five-second penalty would not have altered the outcome: Antonelli crossed the finish line in third place, 15.9 seconds ahead of Lando Norris, who finished fourth.
Initially, it was assumed that the fourth incident, which occurred on the lap following his pitstop, had not been recognized. This interpretation would have kept Antonelli within the allowed threshold of three track limits infringements.
An FIA representative has verified that this assumption was correct. The braking issue that was also mentioned over the Mercedes team radio could clarify the fourth violation. According to the FIA stewards, this situation was deemed a “justifiable reason” for leaving the track at that moment.
This aligns with the stipulations set forth in Article B1.8.5 of the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, which states, “Drivers are required to make every reasonable endeavor to remain on the track at all times and may not leave the track without a justifiable reason.”
Therefore, the braking complications allowed Antonelli to escape a penalty, especially since he did not gain any advantage from going off the track.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Clive Mason / Getty Images
Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff is acutely conscious of the precarious position his driver occupies during the race: “That puts us under stress. Halfway through the race, we’ve already accumulated three strikes, but it demonstrates that he’s really testing the boundaries.”
According to the official FIA documentation that notes deleted lap times from the race, Antonelli had track limits violations at Turns 2 (twice) and Turn 19 (once) – all occurring in the race’s early stages, as Wolff indicated.
The seemingly fourth violation, occurring at Turn 7, triggered a somewhat frustrated response from Antonelli’s race engineer Peter Bonnington over the team radio.
However, with some time to reflect, Wolff found the humor in the situation.
“He managed to navigate his race, keeping his composure – aside from a few incidents with track limits, where I’ve devised a clever strategy: I’m planning to put a hotel pillow under his backside, so he can actually see the track. I suspect he’s having difficulty with visibility,” Wolff humorously remarked.
Nonetheless, Wolff commended Antonelli’s approach to the circumstances as “mature and commendable,” adding, “We discussed it, and he shared, ‘I have to remain calm and ensure I complete the race.’ Managing a challenging car at that point while also trying to evolve and learn is commendable.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
