Three penalty places for George Russell
For having hindered Charles Leclerc during the shootout, George Russell received a three-place penalty on the Sprint grid.
There was little suspense as to the decision that would be taken by the commissioners. Even Charles Leclerc said it on his radio: « And a penalty for Mr. Russell if you please. » The images were indeed quite clear: the Monegasque’s Ferrari arrived at full speed on a Mercedes on the slow trajectory.
The commissioners justified their decision in the following way: « Even if the team informed the driver of the approach a few seconds earlier, there was no more direct information before car 63 entered turn 19, with car 16 just behind. Car 63 did not move from its line in or after turn 19 and therefore unnecessarily hindered car 16. The commissioners note that, regardless of the information coming from the team, it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that he does not hinder another car. »
Only qualified eighth at the end of Q3, the Briton will therefore start 11th for the 19-lap Sprint, which therefore gains a place for Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly and Daniel Riccardo.
From our special correspondent in Austin
