Kimi Antonelli summoned for impeding Lando Norris during F1 Chinese GP sprint quali

Rebecca French

1 month ago

Kimi Antonelli has been summoned by Formula One stewards for allegedly obstructing Lando Norris during Chinese Grand Prix sprint qualifying.

The Mercedes driver drove slowly on the inside of Turn 1, causing Norris to back off before reporting to his McLaren “I’m going to push that lap during SQ2”.

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Regardless, both men progressed through the race, with Antonelli ultimately finishing second behind teammate George Russell in Saturday’s race, with the reigning world champion finishing third.

After the race, Antonelli said: “Yeah, the pace was very strong. Just didn’t get a lap on the soft ground at the end. So, yeah, there’s still a lot of work to do. But obviously, congratulations to George and everyone for fighting for tomorrow.”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

If he were found guilty, the usual penalty would be to sit three places back on the grid, which would push Norris to the front row with Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri sharing second place.

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Antonelli will therefore start from fifth ahead of sixth-placed Charles Leclerc, but given Mercedes’ advantage, the Italian teenager is expected to make progress quickly.

At last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix opener, the Silver Arrows finished 1-2 in both qualifying and the race, firmly confirming their replacement for these new 2026 machines.

“I feel good in the car,” Antonelli said. “So, obviously there are more details trying to put everything together. But, yeah, tomorrow we’ll try to get a good start and then try to have a good qualifying period.”