Russell blasts FIA Stewards in claim targeting Verstappen and Leclerc

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George Russell is firm in his belief that the FIA Stewards got it wrong when judging the incidnets that took place at the highly controversial Mexico GP start.

“They make the mistake of cutting the corner and continued and there was no punishment for their mistake. So, I was pretty pissed off with that to start with.”

– George Russell.

When all 20 F1 cars were barreling down the longest main straight of the Formula 1 calendar at the start of the race, several drivers failed to make Turn 1, with Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Andrea Kimi Antonelli among them.

Russell has admitted to have been angered by said incidents saying after the race: “I think I just struggled to understand how three guys could just cut the corner and maintain their position.

“They got it wrong, they braked too late, they made a mistake. But they make the mistake of cutting the corner and continued and there was no punishment for their mistake. So, I was pretty pissed off with that to start with.

Max Verstappen cutting Turn 2 in Mexico. Photo: RacePictures.

“Then, you know, Max came off, went off the track, Turn 4, came back on. There was wrong place, wrong time, I mean, but again, that should have been Max [penalised] as well.”

Dismissing any potential chances at coming away with the race win in Mexico due to Lando Norris’ much superior race pace, he once again reflected on the Turn 1 incidents claiming a P3 was in the cards for him and Mercedes had the drivers who “did the right thing” not come off worst, he assessed targeting Leclerc and Verstappen in particular.

He added: “I mean, he [Norris] was clearly much quicker than us. We didn’t have the pace today. But I think if I came around the first corner [in] P3, we’d have finished P3. That’s the story of the season.

russell-and-antonelli-during-mexican-gp - Credit: Race Pictures

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli during the Mexican Grand Prix

“You know, as Leclerc, I think I’m watching now, just made no attempt to stay on the track. Verstappen, obviously just full risking it, got it wrong but continued in his place. And the guys who did the right thing were the ones who came off worst,” he concluded.

Hamilton also pushed for penalties for Verstappen and Leclerc

Lewis Hamilton was of a similar opinion to Russell’s, and as uncovered in radio communications between him and race engineer Ricardo Adami, the Briton pressed the team to seek action against teammate Leclerc and Red Bull Racing driver Verstappen.

However, ironically, it would the British Ferrari driver who’d be slapped with a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Verstappen, in response to the FIA Stewards’ actions on the incidents that took place at Turn 1, said it was “not my problem,” arguing that under the complicated circumstances he’d felt he’d done nothing wrong.

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