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Mercedes Heartbreak: FIA Deletes Crucial Lap for Star Driver After Canadian Grand Prix Drama”
Just when Mercedes thought they had walked away from the Canadian Grand Prix cleanly, post-race drama struck and it had George Russell at the center of it.
After a hard-fought battle that saw Russell dominate parts of the race in Montreal, the FIA announced that one of the Briton’s fastest laps was deleted following a post-race investigation. The deleted lap, which was initially celebrated by Mercedes as a marker of the car’s pace, was scrubbed from the record books due to a track limits violation.
According to the official report, Russell exceeded the defined track boundaries at Turn 9 during what was, at the time, his quickest lap of the race. While it didn’t strip him of the race win — which he narrowly clinched ahead of Max Verstappen — it did deny him the extra point for fastest lap, a potentially vital detail in what’s shaping up to be a tight championship fight.
The FIA’s decision came after several hours of post-race reviews, which also included protests from Red Bull regarding Russell’s alleged behavior under Safety Car conditions. While those protests were ultimately dismissed, the lap time deletion was upheld as a straightforward breach of track regulations.
Fans were quick to react online, with many expressing frustration at what they perceived as harsh enforcement. But others pointed out that consistency in track limits rulings is crucial, especially when the stakes are this high.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff addressed the issue in typical fashion, saying:
“Losing the fastest lap point is unfortunate, but the win is what matters. We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Russell himself was reportedly unfazed, stating that while it was “a shame to lose the fastest lap,” he was more focused on the team’s strong overall performance and the momentum they’ve gained heading into the European leg of the season.
The deleted lap adds another layer of tension to an already heated title race — with Russell, Verstappen, and Norris all separated by slim margins in the championship standings.
As F1 heads next to Austria, this small post-race correction could loom large. In a season where every point matters, even one lost fastest lap can shape the destiny of the title.
Final Take: FIA rulings may seem minor in the moment, but in the chess game of Formula 1, every move counts. For Russell and Mercedes, the message is clear drive fast, but stay between the lines.
stay between the lines.
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