Why Antonelli escaped a penalty after four apparent track limits incidents in Singapore

Kimi Antonelli appeared to commit four track limits violations in the Singapore Grand Prix but was not penalized. The FIA said braking problems gave him a justifiable reason for the fourth incident, and he gained no advantage by leaving the track.

Autosport has reported:

Kimi Antonelli avoided a penalty at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix after the FIA determined that braking problems justified his fourth apparent track limits violation. The Mercedes driver finished third, 15.9 seconds ahead of fourth-place Lando Norris, so a usual five-second penalty would not have changed his finishing position.

After the race, some observers thought the fourth incident had not been counted because it came on the lap after Antonelli’s pit stop. That would have left him within the allowance of three violations. An FIA spokesperson confirmed that the incident was not counted, citing braking issues that had also been discussed over Mercedes team radio.

The FIA stewards considered the braking trouble a “justifiable reason” for Antonelli to leave the track on that occasion. The 2026 Formula 1 regulations address the issue in Article B1.8.5: “Drivers must make every reasonable effort to use the track at all times and may not leave the track without a justifiable reason.” Antonelli also gained no advantage by going off track.

The official FIA document listing lap times deleted during the race records three violations for Antonelli: twice at Turn 2 and once at Turn 19. All three occurred in the first half of the race, matching Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff’s account. The apparent fourth incident was at Turn 7, where Antonelli’s race engineer, Peter Bonnington, responded with some irritation over the radio.

Wolff said the number of early incidents had put the team under pressure. “That stresses us. Half the race we already have three strikes, but it also shows that he's pushing the limits a lot,” he said.

With some distance from the race, Wolff joked about a possible fix for Antonelli’s apparent difficulty seeing the track. “I think he managed his race, he kept his cool - other than a few of the track limits, where I have a good strategy, I'm going to put a pillow from the hotel under his butt, so he can actually see the road. Because I think he can't see it,” Wolff said.

Wolff also praised Antonelli’s response as “mature and good.” He said the driver had told the team, “I've just got to keep my calm here and make sure that I finish the race”. Wolff said managing a difficult car while trying to develop it and learn from it was good.

Antonelli, whose full name is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, was pictured in Singapore by Clive Mason for Getty Images. The race incidents were discussed alongside the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix driver ratings and a separate report on Lewis Hamilton’s Singapore GP meltdown, which examined whether it was a “senior moment” or a breakdown of trust.