Kimi Antonelli gets back P4 position after successful Mercedes appeal, Albon moves to P5

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli got back his P4 position after the German team successfully won their "Right to Review" on his penalty for an unsafe release during that 2025 Australian Grand Prix. The Italian driver had an impressive debut in arguably one of the toughest conditions in the sport after starting the race from P16.

Nonetheless, the rookie remained calm in changeable conditions whilst drivers with similar experience as him struggled to maintain their composure in a race that saw six drivers DNFing.

Kimi Antonelli, along with Mercedes, made the right calls throughout the tricky conditions and finished P4 on the track. However, he was found guilty of an unsafe release in the pitlane during the final Safety Car period and given a five-second penalty, which demoted him behind Alex Albon to P5.

But the Brackley-based outfit submitted a "Right to Review" for the incident and provided additional footage which convinced the stewards to overturn their decision. The stewards said in their decision (via F1.com):

“It is clear that Car 12 did not cross into the fast lane until a significant distance down the pit lane and only after the driver checked his mirror to confirm clearance with Car 27. The roll hoop camera shows that he had sufficient room to safely pass the McLaren pits without risk to the McLaren mechanics.”

The stewards previously used the helicopter footage from above the circuit to give their decision and found Kimi Antonelli guilty of the infringement.

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Kimi Antonelli gives his reaction to his five-second penalty

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli revealed that he was not aware that he was given a five-second penalty for the infringement during the Safety Car period. In his post-race interview, the 18-year-old talked about the offense and said (via The Race):

“I didn't really know I had the penalty. I just knew that the team told me to keep pushing even on the last lap. So it's a shame… But I cannot complain about today. Everything went well. And definitely, I feel like I was quite lucky with the spin.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff too was surprised by the penalty and told Sky F1 (via PlanetF1):

“You can only shake your head. It came up there’s an incident. Nobody saw it, it wasn’t played. And 90 seconds later, there was a penalty of five seconds.”

Nonetheless, Wolff went on to praise Antonelli for his performance under difficult conditions and said:

“I mean, even very good drivers span or hit the wall, and it’s easier to not finish than to finish. He kept his cool and yeah, it was just very impressive to see. And it shows that he has a good future, as long as the trajectory keeps being like it is.”

Kimi Antonelli's reinstated P4 helps Mercedes gain two more points in the Constructor's Championship and draw level with McLaren at the top with 27 points after his teammate George Russell, finished P3.