Brazilian GP stewards deliver verdict after dangerous on-track incident

Albon's penalty stems from an incident at Turn 2, where the Williams driver ran off the track before rejoining at Turn 3, cutting across the path of Gasly. The Alpine driver was forced to brake to avoid contact, prompting the stewards to investigate Albon's return to the circuit.

After reviewing the available footage and data, the officials ruled that the Williams driver was responsible for the incident, as Gasly should not have been forced to slow down to accommodate a car rejoining the track.

Albon was consequently handed a five-second time penalty, along with two penalty points on his super licence, taking his tally to three over the past 12 months.

Albon is not the only driver facing scrutiny following the Brazilian Grand Prix, with newly crowned F1 champion Kimi Antonelli also awaiting the outcome of an investigation.

The Italian was involved in a separate incident during the closing stages of the race, when he was released from his pit box into the path of Franco Colapinto's Alpine as drivers switched to intermediate tyres following the return of rain. The two drivers narrowly avoided contact, raising concerns over a possible unsafe release.

Antonelli could receive a five-second time penalty, although such a sanction would be unlikely to affect his fifth-place finish, given that he crossed the line approximately 20 seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri.