George Russell reprimanded, just like Lando Norris for his infraction during the aborted start
€5000 and a reprimand, that's what the FIA gave George Russell as a sanction for impacting the start procedure during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this Sunday. A pretty lenient decision.
Just like Lando Norris, the FIA decided to give a rather lenient sanction to George Russell, while the Mercedes driver was starting from the front row of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Indeed, during the formation lap, Lance Stroll blocked his Aston Martin in the gravel, prompting the initiation of an “aborted start” procedure. Once they reached the starting grid, the drivers were supposed to stop and wait at their position. This is something that neither George Russell nor Lando Norris did.
This failure to respect the aborted start procedure forced the FIA to launch a new formation lap and postpone the start. Usually, this action could have resulted in a more severe sporting penalty, from disqualification to a grid penalty for the next race. However, given the circumstances and the fact that it was not just one driver involved but two, the FIA was lenient and simply imposed a fine of €5000 and a reprimand.
« The FIA Formula 1 race director initiated the aborted start procedure, indicating that the drivers should not leave the grid. This message was necessary because a car had stopped off the track at turn 4 (STR) and needed to be retrieved. Although the signal was correctly given, with the light panel turning on as prescribed and the teams being notified via the messaging system, a driver nevertheless left the grid and embarked on a lap that he interpreted as an additional formation lap. » details the statement.
Given that this driver was in the front row of the grid, it encouraged other drivers to take similar action. At one point, the race director, realizing that for practical reasons all drivers would now have to complete an additional formation lap, instructed the teams for all cars to do the same and return to the grid to follow the correct aborted start procedure. According to the stewards’ decision, driver George Russell did not directly cause the actions of the drivers just behind him on the grid.
George Russell finished 4th in the race and avoided another major sporting sanction this Sunday when his mechanics adjusted the tire pressure of his car directly on the car, which is prohibited by the regulations.
The moment when the departure is aborted:
Le départ de Lando Norris sous enquête ! ⚠️
Le pilote McLaren a pris le départ pour un tour de formation supplémentaire sans en avoir le feu vert… suivi de tous les autres pilotes présents sur la grille 🚥#BrazilGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/oGsgXpNQ2w
— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) November 3, 2024
