Sports · Motorsport · 10 hrs ago
Leclerc penalty moves Lawson to seventh in Brazilian Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc received a five-second penalty after contact with Liam Lawson in Formula 1’s Brazilian Grand Prix in São Paulo.
The Ferrari driver and Racing Bulls driver were fighting for seventh place on a wet track near the end of the race.
Leclerc made contact with Lawson at Turn 12, then passed him several corners later.
Stewards said the contact helped Leclerc close the gap and overtake, and that Lawson had the right to the corner.
The penalty reversed their finishing places, putting Lawson seventh and Leclerc eighth.
Lawson gained two championship points and recorded his fifth points finish in a row.
Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman also received five-second penalties for unsafe pit-stop releases, but neither penalty changed their finishing position.
Charles Leclerc received a five-second penalty after the Brazilian Grand Prix for a collision with Liam Lawson.
The penalty moved Leclerc from seventh to eighth in the final classification and promoted Lawson to seventh.
The contact happened on lap 69 at Turn 12 as the drivers battled on a wet track.
The stewards said the contact helped Leclerc close on Lawson and complete the overtake.
Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman also received five-second penalties for unsafe pit-lane releases, but kept their finishing positions.
- Who
- Charles Leclerc and Liam Lawson were involved. Leclerc drove for Ferrari and Lawson for Racing Bulls.
- What
- Leclerc received a five-second penalty for causing a collision. Lawson moved up to seventh and Leclerc fell to eighth.
- When
- After the Brazilian Grand Prix on 8 November 2026.
- Where
- At Turn 12 of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix circuit.
- Why
- The stewards found that contact helped Leclerc get closer to Lawson and overtake him.
FIA stewards
Charles Leclerc
Cause and effect
FIA stewards
The stewards said the contact disrupted Lawson and helped Leclerc close the gap and overtake.
Charles Leclerc
Leclerc said the contact was minor and had no obvious sporting consequence.
Penalty
FIA stewards
The stewards imposed a five-second penalty, citing the contact’s sporting consequence.
Charles Leclerc
Leclerc’s view, as reported by the stewards, was that the contact had no sporting consequence.
Leclerc and Lawson made contact at Turn 12 while battling for seventh on a wet track.
The stewards reviewed the incident and found Leclerc responsible for the collision.
Leclerc was given a five-second penalty, moving him to eighth and Lawson to seventh.
- Penalty
- Leclerc received five seconds for causing a collision with Lawson.
- Final positions
- Liam Lawson seventh; Charles Leclerc eighth.
- Incident
- Lap 69 at Turn 12, Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
- Lawson’s gain
- The revised result gave Lawson two championship points.
- Other penalties
- Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman each received five seconds for unsafe pit-lane releases.
9 sources
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What people are saying
While we acknowledge that the contact was minor, having examined the fight on track between the two cars, we conclude that Car 16 was able to get closer to and thereafter overtake Car 30 because of the contact
The contact clearly disrupted Car 30 and allowed Car 16 to pull up alongside when it was further away before the contact. This was an obvious sporting consequence.
In mitigation, the wet conditions coupled with the nature of the contact (i.e. minor) was taken into account in imposing a 5 second time penalty as opposed to a 10 second time penalty.
it was a minor contact with no obvious sporting consequence