FIA issue Mercedes punishment at Japanese Grand Prix

Mercedes F1 team have been handed a punishment for an incident early in the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.

Young driver Kimi Antonelli was caught speeding in the pit lane during FP1, a reasonably cut and dried offence for which the team was fined €100 by the stewards in line with the sport's guidelines.

Antonelli was less than 1km/h over the 80 km/h speed limit, but that's far from the most minor infringement punished along these lines, with the likes of Max Verstappen and Mick Schumacher punished for being just 0.1km/h over the limit in the past.

Antonelli had a reasonably pedestrian practice session, setting the ninth fastest time on Friday morning while his team-mate George Russell was second on the timing boards behind Lando Norris.

Antonelli fined at Japanese Grand Prix

The young Italian has had a promising start to his Formula 1 career, finishing fourth on debut in Australia after picking his way through the wet weather chaos, before finishing sixth (after penalties to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in front of him) in Shanghai.

His Mercedes team-mate Russell has also had an impressive start to the 2025 season as the team adjust to life without Hamilton, picking up a pair of podium finishes to start the year.

An FIA statement read: "Car 12 exceeded the pit lane speed limit which is set at 80 km/h for this event by 0.9 km/h.

"Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal certain decisions of the Stewards, in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA International Sporting Code and Chapter 4 of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, within the applicable time limits."

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