Mercedes fined €5,000 after Russell misses Mexico media duties

Mercedes has been fined €5,000 after George Russell left the circuit following the Mexico City Grand Prix without attending his post-race media commitments.

Russell finished sixth at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, having started second. A poor battery cost him four places on the opening lap, and a 10-second penalty followed a collision with Isack Hadjar at Turn 6. Sixth was the best result he could secure on a difficult afternoon, as team-mate Kimi Antonelli became world champion.

Stewards fined Mercedes for Russell’s absence

The stewards determined that Russell had departed the venue before completing the required media duties. The team was found to have breached Article B10.1.4e of the regulations, and was fined €5,000. Mercedes’ representative gave evidence by telephone, while Russell did not attend the hearing.

The penalty followed a race in which Russell had started from the front row but quickly lost ground. He was then involved in the incident with Hadjar, leaving him unable to finish higher than sixth.

Russell’s Mexico result came after a season in which he had been regarded as a pre-season title favourite. The tough weekend adds another chapter to that campaign; read more about Russell’s title prospects.

Wolff said Russell had permission to leave

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff later confirmed he had allowed Russell to go before completing the media schedule. Wolff said he had seen the driver after the race and considered his reaction understandable given the disappointment of the result.

Wolff also highlighted Russell’s gesture towards Antonelli after the title was secured, describing his visit to the new champion as a show of sportsmanship. He said Russell had helped bring the young driver into the team and acknowledged the emotional weight of the moment for a competitor who had expected to be in contention.

The team boss said Mercedes had the pace to win, but that an unexpected problem with energy delivery on the opening straight had undermined Russell’s race. He viewed the setback as reflective of a difficult season and expressed sympathy for his driver.

The Mexico weekend also sharpened attention on the dynamic between Russell and his newly crowned team-mate. Our coverage of Russell’s Mercedes future and the Antonelli question examines that wider team context.