Australian Grand Prix result overturned as decision made hours after race
It turns out things changed after the chequered flag was waved
The first race of the new Formula One season has finished in Australia and it's turned out to be a win for Lando Norris.
He held off four-time world champion Max Verstappen to finish first, while George Russell was the third man standing on the podium once the chequered flag had been waved.
Just a few seconds behind them was Williams driver Alex Albon, who crossed the finish line after Kimi Antonelli but scored fourth place as the Mercedes driver was hit with a five second penalty to knock him down to... oh no hang on a minute.
In bad news for Albon his fourth place finish at the Australian Grand Prix was undone after F1 announced that Antonelli's five second penalty would be overturned.
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Sorry Alex.
Earlier on in the race Antonelli was judged to have been released into Nico Hulkenberg's path in the pit lane, resulting in the Mercedes driver being slapped with a five second penalty that landed him behind Albon in the final standings at the Australian Grand Prix.
Antonelli had started the race in P16 and fought to make it all the way to P4 before the penalty knocked him down a place in the final standings, but he and Albon have been switched back after it was reviewed and removed.
Mercedes petitioned for a 'right of review' for their man Antonelli and at a hearing they presented 'video from the roll hoop camera which was previously unavailable'.
The new footage, along with a video taken from a helicopter that stewards hadn't seen, led race officials to decide that Antonelli shouldn't have had a penalty after all.
“It is clear that Car 12 did not cross into the fast lane until a significant distance down the pit lane and only after the driver checked his mirror to confirm clearance with Car 27," the stewards said in their reasoning.
"The roll hoop camera shows that he had sufficient room to safely pass the McLaren pits without risk to the McLaren mechanics.”
Being bumped back up into fourth place means that Antonelli picks up two extra points in the standings.
Since this is the first race of the season the standings are essentially a carbon copy of the race results, but the Australian Grand Prix really was Lando Norris' to dominate as he picked up pole position and fastest lap along with the win.
McLaren and Mercedes teams are tied for the Constructor's Championship after the first race on 27 points apiece, as Lando Norris won the race but his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finished ninth.
Antonelli being bumped back up to fourth meant that he and third-placed George Russell also scored the same amount of points.
F1 returns next week for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Joe Harker