FIA explains mitigating circumstances behind Russell US GP penalty decision

George Russell was penalised for leaving the track and gaining an advantage at the United States Grand Prix, though his sanction was reduced to five seconds.

The FIA stewards moved to explain two mitigating circumstances behind that decision, noting Russell’s simultaneous Isack Hadjar and Oscar Piastri battles, and the fact that this was the first lap of the race.

FIA explains George Russell five-second penalty

Russell lined up sixth on the grid in Austin, knowing that he needed to finish in the top nine if Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli won the race to keep his slim title hopes alive.

Despite starting on the yellow-walled medium tyres, Russell applied pressure on Hadjar’s Red Bull, armed with softs, which was quickly passed by the Ferraris.

Russell went wide at Turn 12, the McLaren of Oscar Piastri hot on the tail of this battle.

The Mercedes driver returned to the track ahead of Piastri, with the FIA stewards confirming that Russell was under investigation for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

A penalty came sooner after, though it was five seconds for the Brit, rather than the standard 10 for that transgression.

The FIA stewards issued an explanation for that reduced penalty.

Their verdict reads: “The stewards reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, and in-car video evidence, plus submissions from the teams of Cars 63 and 81 via the FIA Evidence Channel.

“The driver of Car 63 was defending position from Car 81, into Turn 12 and left the track, then proceeded to rejoin in front of Car 81, prior to Turn 13. He retained that position.

“Accordingly he is determined by the stewards to have left the track, rejoined it and gained a lasting advantage.

“The normal penalty for this is a 10-second penalty, however the stewards considered that the driver of Car 63 had previously been pressuring Car 6 and that put Car 81 into an attacking position (and therefore Car 63 into a defending position).

“Further, this was a first lap incident and in our determination, the penalty should be mitigated to 5 seconds.”

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That penalty did complicate Russell’s battle with the McLarens.

Lando Norris pulled off a one-stop strategy to secure P5, while Piastri went on to finish seventh, Russell eighth.

While not the result which Russell would have been hoping for, as Antonelli took a controlled and comfortable victory in the sister Mercedes, it was just enough to ensure that the Italian did not become world champion in Austin.

A P9 finish for the young Italian next time out in Mexico will be enough to crown Antonelli as champion.

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