Mercedes Drivers Penalized Ahead of Bahrain Grand Prix After Procedure Error

SAKHIR, Bahrain — Mercedes drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli have received one-place grid penalties for the Bahrain Grand Prix after a procedural error during Saturday’s qualifying session. The penalties, issued after both drivers were prematurely sent into the fast lane while waiting for a red flag to lift, will see Russell start from third and Antonelli from fifth in Sunday’s race.

This incident occurred in Q2 when a crash involving Haas driver Esteban Ocon halted the session. Despite their strong performance, with Russell qualifying second and Antonelli fourth, the team’s misinterpretation of the FIA‘s instructions resulted in their early release, a violation of sporting regulations.

Following the session, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin explained to the stewards that he mistakenly interpreted the timing screen’s ‘estimated restart time’ as the confirmed restart time. He insisted that there was no advantage gained as there were still 11 minutes left for other teams to complete their laps.

“We misread the situation,” Shovlin said. “We thought we were acting within the rules, and it was clear that the team made an unintentional mistake.”

However, the stewards disagreed, noting the potential advantage in being in position to start the session promptly. They stated that allowing the drivers to exit before an official confirmation could benefit their run strategy over others. The decision to impose a grid penalty rather than a fine aimed to maintain competitive integrity.

“A similar breach in different circumstances could entail a more severe sporting penalty in future,” the stewards added in their ruling.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged the gravity of the situation. “There’s no precedent for this; it’s a new rule in that sense. I would hope that it’s not the drivers who are penalized for it, as it was a mistake on our part,” Wolff told Sky Sports.

The reshuffled grid means Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will take second position, moving up from third, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly benefits from the penalties, starting from fourth instead of fifth. Russell and Antonelli now face the challenge of navigating through the field to secure valuable points in the championship.

With the Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled for 4 p.m. local time on Sunday, the Mercedes duo must quickly adapt to their altered starting positions in what promises to be a competitive race under the lights of the Bahrain International Circuit.