Mercedes Penalized After Russell Skips Media Duties at Mexican GP

Mercedes has found itself lighter in the wallet after George Russell departed the Mexican Grand Prix circuit without conducting the obligatory media interviews. The team must now pay a €5,000 fine as a result of Russell's premature exit following his teammate Kimi Antonelli's championship-clinching performance.

Russell entered the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with slim hopes of securing the championship. Those hopes were extinguished when Antonelli not only achieved the necessary P9 finish but also claimed a podium spot, becoming the youngest champion in Formula 1 history. Meanwhile, Russell finished sixth, dropping him to fourth in the standings behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

Post-race, Russell was supposed to attend media duties, a requirement unless a driver finishes in the top three, in which case they attend the FIA press conference. Mercedes indicated to the media that Russell had left the track, but PlanetF1.com learned that he did so without FIA approval. This prompted an FIA investigation, and with Russell absent, the stewards decided on a €5,000 penalty for Mercedes.

According to the FIA's statement, "The stewards heard from the team representative that the driver had left the circuit without attending the post-race media commitments," leading to the fine being imposed.

Russell's day was already fraught with difficulty. Earlier in the race, he incurred a 10-second penalty for spinning Red Bull's Isack Hadjar. The stewards reviewed various forms of evidence and concluded that Russell did not have a valid claim to the corner during the incident, resulting in the penalty.

In the race itself, Verstappen claimed victory, followed by Russell's former teammate Hamilton. Antonelli's third-place finish secured him the championship title. Charles Leclerc, after a clash with Hamilton, ended up fourth, managing to fend off Lando Norris despite a tire issue.

_Additional reporting by Thomas Maher_