# Leclerc penalised for Lawson clash at Brazilian GP
_Charles Leclerc dropped from seventh to eighth after a five-second penalty for contact with Liam Lawson at Sao Paulo._

- Publisher: Apex Sports News (https://apexsportsnews.in)
- Canonical URL: https://apexsportsnews.in/news/leclerc-penalised-for-lawson-clash-at-brazilian-gp
- Author: Rohit, Sports writer (https://apexsportsnews.in/author/rohit)
- Published: 2026-11-08T23:06:27.024Z
- Section: Formula 1
- Topics: Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, Formula 1, Liam Lawson, Brazilian Grand Prix, Oliver Bearman
## Summary

Charles Leclerc received a five-second post-race penalty for his clash with Liam Lawson at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman were also punished for unsafe pitstop releases.

## Key takeaways

- Leclerc dropped from seventh to eighth place after a five-second penalty
- Contact with Liam Lawson happened on lap 69 at Juncao, Turn 12
- Kimi Antonelli received a five-second penalty for an unsafe pitstop release
- Oliver Bearman was also punished for an unsafe release from a pitstop

## Article

Charles Leclerc was handed a five-second penalty after the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix for his clash with Liam Lawson, dropping the Ferrari driver from seventh to eighth place in the final classification at Sao Paulo. Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman were also punished after the race for unsafe releases from pitstops.

Leclerc was battling the Racing Bulls driver for seventh place on lap 69 of the Sao Paulo race when the pair made contact into Juncao, Turn 12. Both drivers were able to continue and finish the race.

The contact enabled Leclerc to take seventh place from Lawson, but the incident was placed under investigation for a post-race hearing.

After speaking to both drivers and assessing video and data, the FIA stewards determined Leclerc was to blame and gave him a five-second penalty, dropping him behind Lawson into eighth place in the final results.

The stewards accepted the contact was minor and occurred in wet conditions, which kept the penalty at five seconds rather than a potential ten seconds.

The stewards report stated that while the contact was minor and Lawson was able to maintain the lead thereafter, Lawson claimed the contact damaged the rear left rim of his car and enabled Leclerc to get closer and eventually overtake him five corners later.

Under the Driving Standard Guidelines, Lawson had the right to the corner and it was for Leclerc to take the necessary steps to avoid a collision. Leclerc claimed it was minor contact with no obvious sporting consequence.

The stewards concluded Leclerc was able to get closer to and overtake Lawson because of the contact, which clearly disrupted Lawson and allowed Leclerc to pull up alongside when further away before the contact. This was an obvious sporting consequence.

Antonelli was given a five-second penalty after the Brazilian GP for an unsafe pitstop release. The Italian was released from his final pitstop of the race into an unsafe situation. Oliver Bearman was also punished for an unsafe release from a pitstop.

The Brazilian Grand Prix, currently held under the name Sao Paulo Grand Prix, is a Formula One championship race held at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in the Interlagos neighborhood of Cidade Dutra, Sao Paulo.

The inaugural Brazilian Grand Prix in 1972 was a non-championship event, with all races from 1973 onwards held as championship events. The race was previously held at Jacarepagua from 1978 to 1989 before returning to Interlagos in 1990, where it has since been held.

The stewards decisions stand as part of the final Brazilian GP classification. No further appeal details were provided in the sources.

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### Sources

- [Autosport](https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/leclerc-penalised-for-lawson-clash-antonelli-and-oliver-bearman-also-punished-after-f1-brazilian-gp/10873166/)
- [Motorsport.com](https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/charles-leclerc-penalised-for-liam-lawson-clash-kimi-antonelli-and-oliver-bearman-also-punished-aft/10873163/)
- [Photo: Liauzh, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2026_Chinese_GP_-_Racing_Bulls_-_Liam_Lawson_-_FP1.jpg)
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Source: Apex Sports News, https://apexsportsnews.in/news/leclerc-penalised-for-lawson-clash-at-brazilian-gp. Please cite and link the original article when quoting.