In a dramatic twist following the Austrian Grand Prix, the FIA has officially handed out penalties to both Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli after their opening-lap collision at Turn 3 — confirming the Italian rookie as the primary cause of the incident, while also issuing a warning to Verstappen for his driving response.
The high-stakes clash occurred just moments after the lights went out at the Red Bull Ring. As the field charged into Turn 3, Kimi Antonelli attempted a late-braking move down the inside of the Red Bull, locking up and slamming into the rear-right of Verstappen’s car, sending the Dutchman into the gravel and ending his race on the spot.
Following a stewards’ review, the FIA announced:
“Car 36 (Antonelli) was deemed predominantly at fault for the collision with Car 1 (Verstappen). The move was overly ambitious, and Car 36 failed to maintain control under braking. As a result, a three-place grid penalty will be applied at the next event (Silverstone), along with two penalty points on the driver’s super license.”
However, the statement also included a note on Verstappen’s immediate reaction, as the Red Bull driver gestured and exchanged heated words in parc fermé.
“While Car 1 was not at fault in the incident, the driver’s conduct post-retirement did not meet the expected professional standards. A formal warning has been issued to the driver of Car 1 for unsportsmanlike behavior.”
The race marked Verstappen’s first DNF since the 2024 Australian GP and capped off a nightmare weekend for Red Bull at their home circuit. The Dutchman had already faced trouble in qualifying, missing out on a final run due to Pierre Gasly’s spin.
Speaking to the media after the incident, Verstappen reflected:
“Of course it’s not what you want. At the end of the day, probably I’m the most disappointed about it — but that’s racing as well. We’ve had a lot of great moments here, so maybe we got a little bit spoiled with that. Sometimes things go the other way.”
The result also dealt a major blow to Verstappen’s championship campaign, as McLaren’s dominant one-two finish widened the gap between Oscar Piastri and Verstappen to 61 points.
Still, Verstappen maintained his calm focus:
“I was never thinking about the title anyway. We just take it race by race, try to find more performance with the car, learn from what we’re doing, and see what happens.”
As the F1 paddock turns its attention to Silverstone, the fallout from Spielberg’s opening-lap drama has made one thing clear: the title race is still wide open — but the margin for error is shrinking.
