FIA Clears George Russell of Penalty After Bahrain GP DRS In...

FIA Clears George Russell of Penalty After Bahrain GP DRS In….read more

George Russell has escaped a penalty following an FIA investigation into a potential rules breach during the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver, who secured second place in the race, came under scrutiny after appearing to activate his DRS (Drag Reduction System) outside of the permitted zones.

DRS is typically restricted to specific zones on the track and can only be used when a driver is within one second of the car ahead. However, Russell seemed to open his rear wing while more than a second behind another driver and outside a designated DRS zone. Such an infringement usually results in a time penalty, often five or ten seconds, which could have cost him his podium finish.

Upon reviewing the incident, the FIA stewards concluded that Russell did not gain a significant sporting advantage from the brief DRS usage. According to their findings, although the DRS activation allowed him to gain 0.02 seconds on the straight, he intentionally slowed down at the next corner, losing 0.28 seconds. This self-correction played a significant role in the stewards’ decision not to impose any penalty.

Further investigation revealed that Russell’s DRS activation was accidental. The stewards noted that Mercedes was attempting a team radio call at the time, but Russell inadvertently pressed a button that engaged DRS manually. The system activated for just 37 metres on a 700-metre straight before deactivating.

The FIA also highlighted technical issues affecting Russell’s car during the race. A problem with a timing loop had caused his automatic DRS system to lose connection, forcing the team to rely on manual activation. Additionally, Russell was managing electronic and brake-related malfunctions, and he was instructed to use an auxiliary button. This button serves multiple functions, including acting as a backup for the team radio and manually activating DRS, which ultimately led to the mistake.

Considering the minimal advantage gained, the technical difficulties, and the immediate time loss after the incident, the FIA deemed the DRS activation as unintentional and not impactful on the race outcome. As a result, Russell retains his second-place finish and his podium position remains intact.

The decision capped off a strong performance for Russell, who showed impressive pace throughout the weekend. His result in Bahrain helped him narrow the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen in the drivers’ standings, boosting his early-season momentum in what looks to be a competitive year for Mercedes.