Antonelli and Hamilton Penalized Ahead of Hungarian Grand Prix
World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli will start from seventh position after a penalty for ignoring yellow flags, while Lando Norris starts from pole position.
World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli will start from seventh position after a penalty for ignoring yellow flags, while Lando Norris starts from pole position.
Qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring brought dramatic changes to the starting grid: Formula 1 World Championship leader, 19-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), has been penalized with a three-place grid drop and will start the race from seventh position. Earlier, Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) suffered a similar fate, being pushed from the second row to fifth place.
The fastest in qualifying was reigning world champion Lando Norris in the McLaren, securing his 17th career pole position. Norris was just 12 thousandths faster than Hamilton, but the Briton from Ferrari was subsequently penalized, meaning second place on the grid goes to Charles Leclerc (Ferrari). The reason for Hamilton's penalty is not precisely specified in available sources. Hamilton is historically the most successful driver at this track with eight wins in Hungary, but today he starts from fifth position.
Antonelli's infringement occurred in the final part of qualifying when Max Verstappen spun in the Red Bull. Stewards determined that the young Italian did not slow down sufficiently under yellow flags, resulting in a three-place grid penalty. Antonelli had qualified fourth but now starts from seventh. His teammate George Russell will start sixth.
After all penalties, the starting grid is as follows: Norris (McLaren) ahead of Leclerc (Ferrari), while Antonelli and Hamilton start from far less favorable positions. Interestingly, this is the first race of the season where a Mercedes driver will not start from the front row. Antonelli has taken pole six times this season, and Russell four times, highlighting the Silver Arrows' dominance in qualifying.
Despite the penalty, Antonelli's position in the overall World Championship standings remains very strong. The 19-year-old leads with a 45-point advantage over Hamilton and 50 points ahead of Russell. The Hungarian Grand Prix is the 11th round of the season, and the result at the Hungaroring could further shape the title fight as the season progresses.
The Hungaroring circuit, located near Budapest, is one of the slower tracks on the Formula 1 calendar, known for its tight sections that make overtaking difficult. For this reason, grid position is especially important here, and the penalties for Antonelli and Hamilton could decisively impact their final results. Norris, who won at the Hungaroring last year, has an excellent opportunity to defend his victory and reduce the gap in the championship standings. The start of the Hungarian Grand Prix is scheduled for 3:00 PM local time.
