Kimi Antonelli received a warning from the FIA stewards after the Formula 1 Canadian GP Sprint qualifying. The Italian was investigated for unnecessarily slow driving during SQ3, but did not receive any penalty that changed his grid position.
Read more F1: Bortoleto laments difficult start in Sprint in Canada: «Our situation at the moment»
The warning was also given to Arvid Lindblad after the session held at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Despite the stewards’ decision, neither driver will lose positions for the Sprint race this Saturday in Montreal.
After the Sprint qualifying, several drivers were investigated for alleged non-compliance with the race director’s instructions related to the maximum delta time between Safety Car lines. Among the names analyzed were Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Oliver Bearman.
In the cases of these drivers, the stewards understood that no reprimand was necessary. The assessment indicated that all took appropriate measures to avoid hindering other cars on the track during the session.
Antonelli’s situation, however, received a different interpretation from the race direction. According to the stewards, the championship leader was driving excessively slowly in SQ3 without allowing other drivers to overtake his car.
Read more F1: Russell downplays clash with Antonelli in Canadian Sprint: «Good battle»
Even with the warning, the Italian escaped a more severe sporting penalty. Thus, his starting position for the Sprint remains unchanged in Montreal.
Lindblad also received a warning for the same reason after the session. The young Racing Bulls driver drew attention for his competitive performance on Friday and finished the Sprint qualifying in ninth place.
The decision closes another chapter of recurring investigations involving pace management in preparation laps in Formula 1. In Montreal, the stewards opted for a milder approach, applying only warnings in cases considered less serious.
