FIA delivers triple penalty following Brazilian GP investigations

The decisions concern incidents involving contact on track and unsafe releases in the pit lane, with Leclerc's penalty changing the final classification. Leclerc was investigated for making contact with Liam Lawson at Turn 12, with the stewards concluding that the incident gave the Ferrari driver an advantage in their battle for position.

Although Lawson initially remained ahead, Leclerc managed to overtake him five corners later. The stewards determined that the contact allowed the Monegasque to close the gap and ultimately complete the move.

Lawson argued that the collision damaged the left-rear rim of his car, while Leclerc maintained that the contact was minor and carried no significant sporting consequences.

However, the stewards concluded that the collision disrupted Lawson's race and helped Leclerc get close enough to challenge for the position. They also established that the Racing Bulls driver was entitled to the corner, meaning Leclerc was responsible for avoiding contact.

The wet conditions and relatively minor nature of the incident were taken into consideration, resulting in a five-second penalty rather than a ten-second sanction. As a result, Leclerc drops from seventh to eighth in the final classification, with Lawson gaining one position.

Oliver Bearman was handed a separate five-second penalty following an unsafe release involving Leclerc in the pit lane.

The Haas driver was released from his pit box directly into the path of the Ferrari, which was already travelling along the pit lane. According to the stewards, Leclerc was forced to brake and take evasive action, moving towards the pit wall on the right-hand side to avoid a collision.

After reviewing the available footage, the officials concluded that Haas released Bearman in an unsafe manner, resulting in a five-second penalty. Unlike Leclerc, however, Bearman's penalty does not affect his final finishing position.

Kimi Antonelli was also handed a five-second penalty following a separate unsafe release involving Franco Colapinto in the pit lane. The Mercedes driver was released as the Alpine approached in the fast lane, creating a potentially dangerous situation in the slippery conditions.

After reviewing the episode, the stewards established that the Italian briefly lost control of his car on the wet surface and was forced to take evasive action to avoid a collision. Although Antonelli was entitled to travel alongside cars in the fast lane, the stewards determined that the circumstances made the release unsafe.

Mercedes acknowledged that the situation could have been handled more safely, with the officials subsequently imposing a five-second time penalty, added to Antonelli's final race time.