Charles Leclerc has been penalised following his collision with Liam Lawson and has subsequently lost seventh place in the São Paulo Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc must finish the São Paulo Grand Prix in eighth place instead of seventh. Following an investigation into the collision with Liam Lawson in the closing stages of the race, the FIA stewards imposed a five-second time penalty on the Ferrari driver. As a result, Leclerc slips behind the Racing Bulls driver in the final standings.
The incident occurred on lap 69 at Turn 12. Leclerc was battling with Lawson for seventh place there and made contact with the New Zealander’s car whilst attempting to overtake. Both drivers were able to continue the race. Leclerc subsequently managed to get past Lawson and initially crossed the line in seventh place.
The race stewards examined the incident in more detail after the race. Following hearings with both drivers and the teams, and an analysis of the video footage, on-board footage and data, they concluded that Leclerc had caused a collision.
FIA sees sporting advantage resulting from the contact
In their reasoning, the stewards acknowledged that the contact had been only minor. Lawson had initially even managed to hold his position. However, the incident had an impact on the subsequent battle for position.
Lawson explained that the contact may have damaged the rear left rim of his car. Furthermore, the contact had enabled Leclerc to close the gap on him and overtake him five corners later.
The decisive factor for the FIA was that Lawson was indeed hindered by the contact. The ruling states that the contact disrupted the Racing Bull driver’s car, thereby enabling Leclerc to get back alongside Lawson, even though he had been further behind prior to the contact. The stewards therefore deemed there to be a clear sporting impact.
According to the applicable guidelines for overtaking manoeuvres, Lawson had the right of way into Turn 12. It was up to Leclerc to take the necessary measures to avoid a collision.
However, when determining the penalty, the FIA also took the circumstances of the incident into account. The contact was minor and occurred under difficult conditions on a wet track. The stewards therefore opted for a five-second penalty instead of the usual ten seconds.
Leclerc: “For me, that’s part of racing”
Immediately after the race, Leclerc was not yet aware of the investigation. When asked about the battle with Lawson, he explained that, in his view, it had been close but still within the bounds of the sport.
“It was on the limit, but for me that’s part of racing,” said the Monegasque driver. It was only afterwards that he learnt the race stewards were investigating the incident. He said it remained to be seen how others would assess the situation. For him personally, it had been an entertaining battle – even if others might see it differently.
Lawson described the situation more cautiously. He said he had tried to keep Leclerc behind him, and that contact had occurred in Turn 12. He wanted to review exactly what had happened before commenting further.
Lawson suspects damage to the rear tyre
The Racing Bulls driver was apparently lucky that his car didn’t sustain any major damage following the contact. When asked whether he’d feared a puncture, Lawson replied: “I think his front wing hit my tyre. I think we were really lucky.”
The New Zealander then drew a comparison with an earlier duel between Leclerc and Alexander Albon in Abu Dhabi, where a similar situation had also arisen. “Perhaps that’s his speciality,” joked Lawson. Whether the manoeuvre complied with the rules still needs to be investigated.
The FIA has now answered this question: Leclerc was held responsible for the collision and, as a result of the retrospective time penalty, loses his seventh place. For Lawson, the decision means he now finishes the São Paulo Grand Prix in seventh place.