FIA confirms Mercedes punishment after new Russell Mexican GP investigation

Mercedes has been fined after George Russell failed to appear for his required media duties following the Mexican Grand Prix.

The Silver Arrows will be forced to cough up €5,000 after confirming that Russell had left the circuit without speaking to the press as required after teammate Kimi Antonelli secured the Drivers’ Championship, officially ending Russell’s title hopes.

Mercedes fined after George Russell no-show

Russell went into the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez knowing that his title hopes were hanging by the most delicate of threads. Antonelli needed only a P9 result to become champion.

The Italian did that and then some, completing the podium and becoming the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history.

Russell meanwhile was classified sixth, and has fallen behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to fourth in the Drivers’ Championship.

Following the race, Russell was summoned to see the FIA stewards over an alleged failure to attend his mandatory post-race commitments.

It is a requirement that, post-race, all drivers attend the media pen (unless they finish in the top three, in which case they attend the FIA press conference) and speak with both broadcasters and the written press.

Mercedes signalled to the media that Russell would not attend the media pen; PlanetF1.com understands his early exit was approved by the team.

However, upon enquiry by PlanetF1.com, the FIA confirmed no dispensation had been granted to Russell for this failure to attend.

This sparked an investigation from the FIA stewards and, with Russell no longer at the track to make a case, the verdict was a Mercedes fine of €5,000.

“The stewards heard from the team representative that the driver had left the circuit without attending the post race media commitments,” the explanation begins.

“Noting that the stewards can proceed to make a determination in the case of a non attendance at a hearing, a penalty of €5,000 is imposed on the competitor.”

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The Brit had already found himself in the stewards’ crosshairs during the Mexico City race, having sent the Red Bull of Isack Hadjar into a spin.

For that, Russell was hit with a 10-second penalty, adjudged to have caused that collision.

“The stewards reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video and in-car video evidence,” the verdict began.

“On the entry to Turn 6, car 6 was ahead and car 63 attempted to overtake. The stewards do not consider turns 5 and 6 to be part of a chicane therefore this incident is considered only on the situation on the approach to and exit from Turn 6.

“Car 63 being on the inside, fails to satisfy the conditions for claiming the right to the corner as its front axle is not level with the mirror of Car 6.

“There being no mitigating circumstances, the baseline penalty is applied.”

Russell ultimately finished the race in sixth.

Up ahead, Max Verstappen took the chequered flag from Russell’s former Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, with the aforementioned Antonelli securing third and his maiden title.

Charles Leclerc, who clashed with Ferrari teammate Hamilton and had been in victory contention, ultimately finished fourth ahead of Lando Norris, having withstood heavy pressure from the McLaren following a costly lock-up which flat-spotted a tyre.

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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