'Antonelli loses driver’s licence after road crash' — here’s what it means for his F1 career

Antonelli was involved in a single-vehicle accident near San Marino last weekend with his brand-new expensive Mercedes. Photos showed the car sustained severe damage when it stuck a guard rail.

Rumours on social media claimed Antonelli may have been driving as fast as 180 kph (112mph) in a 70kph (43mph) zone. While GPblog understands this is nothing more than speculation at the moment, Antonelli’s driver’s licence has supposedly been (temporarily) confiscated. GPblog have asked his Mercedes F1 team for a reaction but they say they are still awaiting the police report.

If it is established that Antonelli was indeed driving significantly over the limit, it could prove costly for him. In Italy, speeders are dealt with very harshly. There are sky-high fines that can run into several thousand euros. Moreover, if you exceed the limit by 60kpm or more, your license is always revoked for six to twelve months.

This means he could face a spell being driven around if he is required to serve a ban, which is only applicable to driving on public roads.

Fortunately, his participation in Formula 1 Grands Prix only requires him to have a valid racing licence - a separate license that is not related to his road licence. Therefore he will still be allowed to race, proving he does not earn more than 12 penalty points, which would trigger a one-race ban for any infringements picked up during a GP weekend.

Antonelli is currently in Bahrain where he is taking part in preseason F1 testing as planned for his Mercedes team, alongside his teammate George Russell.

Follow all the action on the second day of testing in Bahrain via our live blog.