Charles Leclerc penalty Sao Paulo Grand Prix F1 classification, Digi Mart USA News (Interlagos, São Paulo): The Sao Paulo Grand Prix did not end at the checkered flag. FIA stewards meeting Sunday evening at Interlagos issued a series of decisions that directly altered the official classification of the race.
Three drivers, Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, Oliver Bearman of Haas and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, were each given a five-second time penalty added to their total race time.
The most significant decision (Document 79) concerned a collision at Turn 12 between Leclerc and Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls. The stewards determined that the Ferrari driver made contact with the Kiwi’s car while braking.
Although the contact was described as “minor” in the wet conditions, the FIA judged that it destabilized Lawson’s car, allowing Leclerc to draw alongside and pass him five corners later. Leclerc was held responsible for the maneuver and received the five-second penalty.
As a result, Leclerc, who had been seventh, drops to eighth place. Lawson inherits seventh position, regaining the place he had given up on track.
The other two penalties concerned pit stop management in wet conditions in the Brazilian pit lane. Antonelli (Document 80) was penalized for an unsafe release while Franco Colapinto of Alpine was approaching in the fast lane; the young Italian lost control on the saturated surface, and despite an attempt to avoid contact, the FIA assessed five seconds.
Antonelli retains fifth place thanks to his gap over Piastri.
Bearman (Document 78) was released by the Haas team directly into Leclerc’s path, forcing the Monegasque driver to brake and brush the pit wall. Also penalized five seconds, Bearman remains classified 17th.
The revised official classification after the stewards’ decisions lists Lando Norris (McLaren) as winner, followed by Max Verstappen (Red Bull) at +14.602 seconds, Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) at +24.485, George Russell (Mercedes) at +33.991, Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) at +41.017 including penalty, Oscar Piastri (McLaren) at +56.475, Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) at +75.402, and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) at +78.586 including penalty.
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) and Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) were each classified one lap down.
