George Russell avoided a penalty and maintained his second-place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix following a post-race investigation into his car`s Drag Reduction System (DRS) usage.
Russell was in second position, behind race winner Oscar Piastri, when his car experienced several electronic problems, including a brake-by-wire issue and steering wheel display malfunctions.
His car also lost connection to the circuit`s automatic DRS activation system, designed to prevent drivers from using DRS outside of designated zones or when not within one second of the car ahead.
Knowing about the disconnection, Russell`s race engineer instructed him to manually override the system and activate DRS if he was close enough to the car in front.
He was advised to use an auxiliary button, which also serves as a backup radio button. Between Turns 10 and 11, he accidentally activated DRS while trying to contact his team via radio, but quickly deactivated it and slowed down to compensate for any potential advantage.
`The DRS was activated for 37 meters on a straight of approximately 700 meters,` the stewards stated. `While he gained 0.02 seconds, he then lost 0.28 seconds at the following corner to compensate. This was confirmed by telemetry.`
`Therefore, although technically a breach occurred, the Stewards decided that since no sporting advantage was gained, no penalty would be applied.`
Russell mentioned he was managing multiple issues in the race`s final stages as McLaren`s Lando Norris approached and attempted to overtake.
`Yes, it was extremely challenging towards the end,` Russell said. `I had various problems with the car.`
`The steering wheel was losing all data, and the brake pedal malfunctioned, requiring constant resets. Brakes were working one moment and failing the next. So, I was relieved to see the checkered flag, honestly.`
`I`m not sure how the DRS incident happened. It was related to all the failures we were experiencing.`
`As soon as I saw it activate, I backed off. I lost two-tenths of a second.`
`It didn`t happen again. I didn`t actually press the DRS button – I pressed another button, and it opened. As I said, I lost more than I gained; I doubt I gained anything as it was open for less than a second.`
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff commended Russell`s performance despite the numerous issues, highlighting the difficulty of driving without a fully functional brake-by-wire system, which controls the rear brakes.
`We suddenly had a brake-by-wire failure, and it took some time to find the settings and reset it, but we managed,` Wolff explained.
`And then, honestly, for him to manage the system, in and out, with Norris behind him – it was an unbelievable drive.`
`What he achieved today secured us this podium. Furthermore, using the soft tires for such an extended period was also impressive, balancing management and attacking when necessary.`
`If you haven`t driven a race car with BBW or conventional brakes, it`s similar to a road car with power steering. Imagine switching between having it in one corner and not having it in the next. It`s incredibly skillful.`
`So, it was brake-by-wire, GPS loss, onboard DRS loss. Everything. And I believe on the dash display, we lacked some expected information and feared losing the entire dash, which would mean no buttons or switches to adjust any settings.`
Dominic Ashworth