FIA Issues rid Penalty for Mercedes Drivers After Bahrain GP…Read more
The FIA has confirmed penalties for both Mercedes Formula 1 drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli following a procedural error during Q2 of qualifying at the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix.
The incident was triggered during the red flag stoppage caused by Esteban Ocon’s crash. After the initial delay, Mercedes released both of their drivers from the garage based on the estimated session restart time, rather than waiting for official confirmation from the Race Director. This action led to an FIA investigation into a potential breach of race control instructions.
After reviewing the situation, the stewards concluded that Mercedes had violated the sporting regulations. As a result, both Russell and Antonelli were handed one-place grid penalties, dropping them to P3 and P5 respectively on the starting grid for Sunday’s race.
FIA’s Full Explanation Behind the Penalty
The stewards’ inquiry included input from Mercedes’ trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin, the Race Director, and the FIA’s Single-Seater Sporting Director. They reviewed video footage, team radio communications, in-car cameras, and timing data. Neither Russell nor Antonelli was required to attend the hearing.
In the official FIA report, Shovlin admitted he mistakenly gave the go-ahead based on the “estimated restart time” displayed on page three of the timing screen, thinking it was the confirmed time to resume. He emphasized that no competitive advantage was gained, as more than 11 minutes remained in the session, providing ample opportunity for all teams to complete their run plans.
It was also noted that Mercedes’ Sporting Director, Ron Meadows, was not present at the Bahrain event—an absence that may have contributed to the miscommunication during a crucial moment in the session.
However, the FIA’s Sporting Director disagreed with Shovlin’s view, stressing that releasing cars early could still provide a strategic edge—especially in scenarios where limited time remains after a red flag. The stewards agreed, stating that even if unintentional, the action had the potential to disadvantage other teams.
They further noted that issuing only a team fine would set a dangerous precedent, allowing teams to exploit estimated restart times in future sessions. The decision to impose a sporting penalty, rather than a financial one, was
Penalty Summary:
George Russell: Drops from P2 to P3
Kimi Antonelli: Drops from P4 to P5
The stewards concluded by stating that although this was an honest error, similar breaches under different circumstances could lead to harsher penalties in the future.
As the Bahrain Grand Prix grid is reshuffled, Mercedes will now need to recover from their self-inflicted setback when the lights go out on Sunday.
