The FIA has announced a last-minute penalty for the Mercedes star
The FIA has unexpectedly imposed a penalty on the Mercedes star.The penultimate round of the 2024 Formula 1 season ended controversially at the Lusail International Circuit, with Russell receiving a five-second penalty.The Mercedes driver experienced a rollercoaster weekend in Qatar. After the initial disappointment of missing out on pole position in Saturday’s qualifying, they were later elated to find themselves promoted to the front row due to an unexpected one-place grid penalty handed to Max Verstappen.The pair reportedly had heated disputes over the weekend. An on-track collision between Russell and the four-time champion led to a penalty for the Red Bull star from FIA, citing unnecessarily slow driving that put Russell at a disadvantage.After the main event on Sunday, Russell was given a five-second penalty. Nevertheless, he still held on to his disappointing fourth-place finish.After examining the 26-year-old’s failure to maintain a 10-car length distance behind the Safety Car, the sport’s governing body has announced that Russell will be awarded a penalty point—his first within a rolling 12-month period.An official FIA document stated: “The Stewards reviewed data from the positioning/marshalling system, as well as video footage, timing details, and in-car video evidence.”The evidence clearly showed that Car 63 was more than 125 meters, or over 20 car lengths, behind the vehicle in front during the safety period.My car, end of discussion.
