2025 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[CjC]

George is driving really well. Penalty or not this was a great drive

[ringo]

George can be champion if McLaren slip up. A really quality driver.

[trinidefender]

I think this season should silence the Russel critics.

That penalty will probably be fairly slam dunk though. DRS use when you shouldn't use it is hard to dispute. Even if it's a transponder issue the stewards will simply say he shouldn't have pressed the DRS button.

*Edit* He said he hit the radio button and the DRS opened. If that's true that's very bizarre. Any systems engineers want to comment? Still don't think it's defendable

[bananapeel23]

I think this season should silence the Russel critics.

That penalty will probably be fairly slap dunk though. DRS use when you shouldn't use it is hard to dispute. Even if it's a transponder issue the stewards will simply say he shouldn't have pressed the DRS button.

Russell has a talent for making the most of the times where he is lucky. He gets his car into positions it doesn't belong by capitalising on mistakes or even bad luck from the faster cars, then somehow manages to stay there through incredible talent and some black magic tyre management.

Russell is amazingly good and clearly a championship calibre driver at this point, but he undeniably shines his brightest when he gets a little bit of good luck, which seems to make him even better.

He's the anti-Leclerc in that regard. Leclerc never gets lucky, and when he does the pendulum inevitably swings back and he gets caught out by a horribly timed safety car or something.

[AR3-GP]

DRS infringement. Any comment Quantum?

[ringo]

I think time penalty. But given the circumstances, and that it only opened for a split second.. I really don't think he should be penalized.

[bananapeel23]

I think time penalty. But given the circumstances, and that it only opened for a split second.. I really don't think he should be penalized.

Honestly I could see Russell get a DSQ. He did nothing wrong, but those technical gremlins may have caused the car to be deemed unsafe or something.

[Quantum]

Mercedes sent their cars out prematurely in order to gain a track position advantage.

False.

The team representative, Mr Shovlin, in evidence stated that he gave the instruction for the cars to be released, in error, having misinterpreted the message posted on page 3 of the Timing Screen, “estimated re-start time” to be a message advising the actual re-start time"

The stewards accepted Mercedes made an "unintentional and genuine mistake"

At any event, there could be rain on the way. Ideal track conditions may be disappearing.

There wasn't any threat of rain. Ideal track conditions were improving. Hypotheticals remain exactly that when trying to validate a falsehood.
Both Mercs set their fastest time at the end of Q3, and not the infringement stint. In fact 9 of the 10 cars improved with only Tsunoda failing to do so due to a driver error and abandoning his lap in spite of conditions being better.

Merc took the pen and is what it is. But howling for a DSQ is something else.

Several cars should have been DSQ'd for the false formation lap in Brazil last year as well. They have to set a precedent. If not now, the teams will take advantage.

Comparing formation laps with qualifying?

I just....cant.

[GrizzleBoy]

Ehhh they let Charles do an entire GP with a broken wing, I doubt they have a leg to stand on.

Not that it's stopped they making BS decisions in the past.....

[Quantum]

DRS infringement. Any comment Quantum?

Sure, life sentence and no parole right?

[SB15]

Even if Russell does or doesn't get a penalty, this was a weekend of no luck for Mercedes. First, both drivers gets a 1 place grid drop in a qualifying. Next, Antonelli get's screwed by the world's most random safety car. Now, it looks like Russell could potentially second place because his car decided to die on him.

Unbelievable, at least Jeddah is next week and I'm not saying I need total domination, but this should anger and motivate everyone in the team for the next race.

[f1isgood]

RUS title hopes cooking

[zibby43]

If the driver pressed the radio button and the DRS opened, and then they backed off to compensate, and a penalty is still issued, that would emphasize everything that is wrong with F1.

[ringo]

If the driver pressed the radio button and the DRS opened, and then they backed off to compensate, and a penalty is still issued, that would emphasize everything that is wrong with F1.

I think he really pressed the DRS button.
He tried to catch himself while admitting the to press a button.. and just slid to saying it was the radio button.
The radio button is likely on a very simple hard wired circuit. I do not think it's on the same data protocol like the other programmable sterring wheel functions. Likewise DRS. DRS has safety implications and is likely on a dedicated circuit.

[Quantum]

If the driver pressed the radio button and the DRS opened, and then they backed off to compensate, and a penalty is still issued, that would emphasize everything that is wrong with F1.

I think he really pressed the DRS button.
He tried to catch himself while admitting the to press a button.. and just slid to saying it was the radio button.
The radio button is likely on a very simple hard wired circuit. I do not think it's on the same data protocol like the other programmable sterring wheel functions. Likewise DRS. DRS has safety implications and is likely on a dedicated circuit.

It should be noted that the FIA transponder was also malfunctioning. 20 years incarceration for the FIA vetted supplier!
With a cell next to George while he serves his mandatory and concurrent 2 life sentences. (it went up)