KIMI ANTONELLI RECEIVES POST-RACE PENALTY DESPITE RETIREMENT IN BARCELONA

Andrea Kimi Antonelli received a five-second post-race penalty for track limit violations at the Barcelona F1 Grand Prix, despite retiring from the event. Stewards found the Mercedes driver exceeded limits four times. The penalty had no impact on his race result, but it highlights a recurring issue with F1 track limits enforcement.

Antonelli’s engineer warned him after three strikes, but race control only issued a black-and-white flag after his *fourth* infringement, as one earlier breach went undetected during the race. Stewards acknowledged this procedural delay but emphasized it did not exempt Antonelli from the rules, noting the penalty would have cost him positions had he finished. This incident follows a pattern of contentious track limit calls. Stewards urged the FIA to immediately review the current procedures for clarity, putting pressure on the sport to improve on-track enforcement before the next race. Antonelli still holds the championship lead despite the DNF.