Moments after Antonelli had passed Mercedes teammate, and championship rival, George Russell, the 19-year-old came to a halt on Lap 62, the latest of an increasing number of power unit problems for Mercedes and their customer teams.

During the race, McLaren had told Lando Norris that Antonelli was indeed set for a five-second penalty, after the Italian was given what was believed to be his final warning for exceeding track limits. However, the FIA have clarified that Antonelli had been shown the black and white flag after his fourth infringement, rather than his third, "as one earlier infringement was only detached later in the race."

The full FIA explanation of the penalty reads: "The Stewards reviewed video evidence. The car left the track four times during the race without justifiable reason. The Stewards acknowledge that the driver did not receive a black/white flag after his third infringement but rather after his fourth infringement as one earlier infringement was only detected later in the race. However, based on the current regulations and Driving Standards Guidelines, this does not exempt the driver from complying with the regulations.

However, the Italian did not let his disappointing Barcelona GP get in the way of congratulating Hamilton on his first-ever win with Ferrari.

Whereas many drivers would head straight to hospitality with their helmets on, Antonelli was dropped off in the pit lane. There, Mercedes’ young star waited for Hamilton to congratulate him on his first win in red. A beautiful gesture from the championship leader, right after such a frustrating moment in his season.