Charles Leclerc demoted after stewards impose five-second penalty for Sao Paulo collision with Liam Lawson

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Charles Leclerc has lost his finishing position of P7 in Sao Paulo after the stewards imposed a post-race five-second time penalty for a collision involving Liam Lawson during the closing stages of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The penalty moved Leclerc from P7 to P8 in the final race classification, with Lawson crossing the line less than two seconds ahead after the time adjustment.

The contact occurred over the last portion of the race as the two drivers fought for seventh place on track amid increasing rainfall at Interlagos. According to the stewards’ decision, Leclerc tapped the left rear wheel of Lawson’s car at Turn 12 before moving around the outside, which resulted in Lawson being demoted during the penultimate lap.

In their formal verdict, the stewards stated that they reviewed evidence including positioning/marshalling system data, video and in-car video, alongside hearing from Leclerc (Car 16), Lawson (Car 30), and team representatives. The stewards concluded that “Car 16 made contact with Car 30 at turn 12.” They also noted Lawson’s contention that the contact damaged the rear left rim of his car and contributed to Leclerc closing to within striking distance, ultimately leading to an overtake five corners later.

The stewards acknowledged that the contact was minor and that Lawson was able to maintain the lead after the incident. However, they determined that the collision had clear sporting consequences because it disrupted Lawson, allowing Leclerc to pull alongside when he would otherwise have been further away. The decision emphasized that this disruption directly enabled Leclerc to overtake.

Leclerc’s defence, as recorded in the stewards’ reasoning, was that the contact was minor and carried no obvious sporting consequence. The stewards accepted the “minor” nature of the collision for the purpose of sanction level, but still held that there was an obvious sporting consequence in the context of the on-track fight between the cars. They also considered mitigation factors, including the wet conditions, in choosing a five-second penalty rather than a heavier sanction.

With the classification updated, the result reflects the stewards’ assessment that the incident affected the relative running order in the closing laps. For Leclerc, the penalty represents a sharp swing from his initial P7 classification to P8, while Lawson retains the higher finishing position after the post-race review.