Mercedes secures third and fourth positions in the Formula One season opener in Australia after challenging an untelevised penalty.

Antonelli came to the checkered flag in fourth place on the track, just behind his Mercedes teammate, George Russell. However, during the race’s final lap, Antonelli was issued a 5-second time penalty for an unsafe release in the pits, which demoted him to fourth to the benefit of Alexander Albon.

The Italian rookie missed out on Q2 by just 0.09 seconds, having battled hard to no avail after picking up extensive floor damage on his Mercedes W16. Kimi Antonelli explains dama

Andrea Kimi Antonelli suffered a major floor damage after going off track during the Australian Grand Prix qualifying.