FIA issues warning to Antonelli for traffic breach at Canadian Grand Prix
Stewards find 19-year-old in breach of Article B1.8.5 for unnecessarily slow driving, compromising his tyre thermal cycle and costing him pole position to teammate George Russell.
The FIA has issued an official warning to Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli following a severe traffic violation during the Sprint Qualifying session for the Canadian Grand Prix. Stewards determined that the 19-year-old was in breach of Article B1.8.5 of the FIA F1 Regulations for driving unnecessarily slowly and failing to let other cars pass. The incident occurred between the Safety Car lines, where Antonelli breached the Race Director’s maximum lap time limits.
Official documents released by the stewards in Montreal, specifically Document 38, detail the investigation into the incident. The review included positioning data, telemetry, team radio communications, and in-car video footage. The stewards explicitly noted that Antonelli "did not let any cars passed" and deemed his driving "unnecessarily slowly" in an attempt to build a gap for his flying lap on cold tyres.
The violation directly impacted the thermal cycle of Antonelli’s soft tyres, resulting in a compromised lap that cost him pole position to his teammate, George Russell. The FIA has been enforcing strict measures to prevent drivers from crawling around the track to avoid traffic, particularly at tight, high-speed circuits like the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Race Director strictly enforces maximum lap time limits between Safety Car lines to prevent dangerous traffic jams.
Antonelli received an official warning rather than a grid penalty because he did not explicitly impede another driver on a fast lap. This decision allowed Mercedes to retain their front-row lockout for the Sprint race, with Antonelli starting in P2 alongside Russell. The ruling serves as a formal reprimand for the breach of event notes and regulations, highlighting the complexities of traffic management under extreme pressure.
The incident underscores the regulatory environment surrounding Formula 1 qualifying sessions, where drivers must balance the need for clean air with the obligation to maintain track flow. While Antonelli retains his starting position, the official warning marks a significant regulatory intervention in his performance at the Canadian Grand Prix.
