Mercedes abandon George Russell Monaco appeal after 24-hour review bid
George Russell was handed a pit-lane speeding penalty in Monaco. When he didn't serve it properly, he was landed with a drive-through.
Mercedes has withdrawn its Right of Review petition into the stewards’ decision to rescind Pierre Gasly’s post-Monaco time penalty, barely 24 hours after lodging it.
George Russell was one of five drivers handed time penalties for speeding in the pit lane, but only Gasly’s penalties were rescinded as Alpine was in a position to lodge a Right of Review, as he didn’t serve the penalties during the Grand Prix.
Mercedes abandons George Russell Monaco penalty review bid
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Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix turned into a penalty festival as five drivers, including Russell, were hit with five-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane.
Russell’s ultimately led to a drive-through after his initial five-second penalty was not served correctly at his first pit stop.
Having been in the hunt for a top points-paying position, Russell eventually finished the 78-lap Grand Prix outside of the points in 12th place.
Meanwhile, at the front of the field Gasly brought home Alpine’s first podium of the season only to be demoted to seventh when his two five-second penalties were added to his finishing time.
Alpine lodged a Right of Review that was heard in the build-up to the Barcelona Grand Prix, with the stewards rescinding the penalties.
The verdict was based on an error with Formula One Management’s timing in the pit lane as the measurement of a timing loop was “inaccurate and overstated the speed” that Gasly had been travelling.
With Gasly reinstated into third place, Isack Hadjar lost his first podium as a Red Bull driver with the Milton Keynes squad lodging a Right of Review. So too did McLaren as Oscar Piastri was another in-race victim.
More on the Monaco GP penalty controversy
The Monaco GP anomaly: How a pit lane penalty exposed Formula 1’s fractured governance
Pierre Gasly hits back at rivals over Monaco podium appeal row
The FIA announced on Wednesday that Mercedes had joined the list, with Toto Wolff having previously hinted that it was a possibility.
Speaking ahead of the Barcelona GP, he said: “Well, I think talk is definitely going forward, but we also need to look at, you know, I just left when we were on the phone with our lawyers to look at what can we do for George.
“A drive-through, if it didn’t happen at the end, is equivalent of 20 seconds race time. What would 20 seconds race time have meant for his result?
“Do we think that we realistically have a position, a chance of reverting the result? I don’t think so, but we definitely have to give it a go if we see that there is a millimetre of chance to do so and bring him back to whatever it was before. We’ve calculated P3 or before.”
However, barely 24 hours after lodging the review, the FIA announced that Mercedes had withdrawn its request.
“The Stewards have been informed by Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team that they are withdrawing the petition for Review in respect of the decisions of the Stewards of the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, breach of Article B1.6.3a of the FIA F1 Regulations in relation to Car 63,” the FIA stewards wrote.
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