Mercedes Clears Antonelli of Blame for Las Vegas GP False Start

Short Excerpt: Mercedes explains that Kimi Antonelli’s jump start penalty at the Las Vegas GP was due to car movement caused by brake release, not a clutch error or driver mistake.

Mercedes Denies Antonelli’s Responsibility for False Start

Mercedes has firmly stated that Kimi Antonelli was not at fault for the false start penalty he received during the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix. The penalty was triggered by a very slight forward movement of the car before the race lights went out, but Mercedes trackside engineering clarified that this was not due to Antonelli releasing the clutch prematurely or any human error. Instead, the movement was caused by the driver lifting his foot off the brake just moments before the start signal, leading to the car creeping forward slightly.

Explanation of the False Start Incident

The incident was subtle, with Antonelli’s car moving approximately two centimeters before the race officially started. According to Mercedes’ Andrew Shovlin, the movement was not a conventional jump start, which usually involves dropping the clutch to gain an advantage. Antonelli kept the clutch fully engaged, and the gradual roll forward coincided with brake release and possible driveline torque or car vibrations. Such minute motion was enough for the FIA’s sensitive monitoring systems to flag a false start, resulting in a five-second penalty.

Impact of the Penalty and Race Outcome

The penalty dropped Antonelli from fourth to fifth place in the official timing. Despite this setback, he impressively climbed through the field from 17th on the grid, aided by a strategic early pit stop and race pace. Post-race disqualifications of some competitors later promoted Antonelli to a podium position, making his comeback particularly notable. Antonelli himself expressed confusion about feeling the jump start, stating he did not perceive the movement during the race start.

“I didn’t feel anything different. The car barely moved, so the penalty was a surprise. We still brought it home on the podium—big credit to the team for the strategy.”

Mercedes’ Perspective and FIA Reaction

Mercedes continues to investigate how to prevent such minor movements from triggering penalties in the future, emphasizing that Antonelli followed all predefined starting procedures. Team principal Toto Wolff and engineers insist that the penalty was « unfortunate » given the lack of driver error and that the FIA’s detection system may need refinement to avoid penalizing such marginal cases unfairly.

“The FIA detection is ultra-sensitive for good reasons, but we’ll seek clarity so a 2 cm creep doesn’t decide a podium again.”
— Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal

Future Considerations

The explanation sheds light on the rigor of FIA’s jump start detection and the fine margins involved. While safety and fairness remain priorities, this incident highlights challenges in balancing technical protocol enforcement with the realities of race starts. Mercedes and Antonelli remain focused on learning from the experience as they prepare for upcoming races in the 2025 season.