In Sakhir, Bahrain, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli were each penalized with a one-place grid drop for the Bahrain Grand Prix. This decision came shortly after they qualified in second and fourth positions respectively.
The penalties were issued because Mercedes released both drivers into the pit lane fast lane prematurely after a red flag. This action is against safety regulations.
As a result of these penalties, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari moves up to second place on the grid, and Pierre Gasly from Alpine advances to fourth.
The qualifying session was previously halted due to a red flag when Esteban Ocon crashed his Haas car in Q2.
Mercedes explained that they misinterpreted the FIA`s `estimated restart time` as the actual time for the session to resume.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes boss, expressed hope after qualifying that the drivers wouldn`t be penalized for what he admitted was a team error.
During the meeting with stewards, Mercedes representative Andrew Shovlin argued that the team`s mistake was simply misreading the restart time and that no competitive advantage was gained.
However, the stewards stated that releasing cars early could provide a sporting advantage by allowing teams to execute their plans while others might not be ready.
The stewards acknowledged that the infraction was unintentional but insisted on a penalty to deter teams from sending cars out based on estimated restart times. They also warned that future similar incidents could result in harsher penalties.
Revised Bahrain GP Grid – Top 10
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
- George Russell, Mercedes
- Pierre Gasly, Alpine
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
- Lando Norris, McLaren
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- Carlos Sainz, Williams
- Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
- Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull
Dominic Ashworth