George Russell was summoned to the stewards over an incident in Austrian Grand Prix qualifying.
George Russell has escaped a penalty after an FIA stewards’ investigation at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Russell was summoned by the stewards over an alleged failure to adhere to the race director’s instructions in joining the fast lane when exiting the garage, after he appeared to barge into line, forcing Charles Leclerc to jam on the brakes.
Russell explained that Leclerc was caught in his “blind spot” and was confident that no further action would be taken, something the stewards agreed with, although Mercedes was handed a reprimand.
In their verdict, the stewards wrote that Russell had tried to enter the fast lane exiting the garage when other cars were approaching in the fast lane and therefore had to stop at an angle, preventing the driver from seeing the other cars approaching in the fast lane.
“The driver tried to radio the team, but in doing so, accidentally slipped the clutch, causing the car to jump forward.
The team representative admitted the team could have done a better job in managing the situation.”
As such, Russell was handed the warning, with Mercedes receiving the reprimand.
