George Russell was placed under investigation for a late clash with Oscar Piastri at the Japanese Grand Prix.
George Russell avoided a post-race penalty for his incident with Oscar Piastri towards the end of the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Mercedes and McLaren racers were fighting for P7 in the closing laps, with Russell closing in on the Australian driver thanks to his fresher medium compound tires.
Russell seized an opportunity at the Turn 16 and 17 chicane, making a bold move to the inside. Piastri, recognizing that there wasn’t enough space for both cars, quickly went off track across the run-off area.
The 23-year-old driver expressed his frustration over the team radio, claiming he was forced off track. Despite this, he managed to maintain his position. However, Russell capitalized on a mistake by Piastri at the same corner on the final lap and successfully overtook him.
Following the conclusion of the race, both drivers were summoned to the stewards’ office as Russell was potentially facing a time penalty for his actions that resulted in another driver being forced off the track. Nevertheless, the ultimate verdict differed from expectations.
Surprisingly, the stewards determined that no further action was required, as they acknowledged that “the driver of Car 63 did not make an abrupt maneuver” and maintained control while entering Turn 16. Additionally, they recognized that “Car 63 had the right to sufficient space for racing” on Turn 16.
Russell managed to secure P7 in the race, allowing him to collect some important points amidst a challenging weekend for the Mercedes team. Meanwhile, his teammate Lewis Hamilton could only achieve P9, leaving him feeling disappointed following the race.
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