Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was unimpressed with the stewards’ decision during the United States Grand Prix.
Wolff described the calls as “biased” after his driver George Russell was given a five-second time penalty for forcing Valtteri Bottas off at turn 12.
The stewards also handed Lando Norris a penalty for overtaking Max Verstappen outside of track limits at the same corner as they fought over third place in the dying stages of the race. However Verstappen avoided a penalty for forcing Norris wide at turn one at the start.
Russell was unimpressed with his penalty reacting with an astonished: “What?” when told of it during the race. Shortly afterwards Wolff came on his radio and told him: “Total joke, George, with the penalty. Total joke.”
At the end of the race Russell asked his team whether Verstappen had been penalised for the incident at the start of the race. Wolff answered: “No he didn’t get a penalty.
“And at the end Lando got a penalty for being forced off and overtaking on the outside. I guess it’s a bit biased decision-making but, you know, not surprised.”
The stewards ruled Russell failed to leave enough width for Bottas’ car on his outside. “The Driving Standard Guidelines provide that when overtaking on the inside the driver must not force the other car off the track and must leave a fair and acceptable width for the car being overtaken,” they noted. “This did not occur on this occasion.
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“However in mitigation, a five-second penalty is imposed instead of the standard 10-second penalty because the stewards determine that the forcing off track was not deliberate, and the driver of car 63 [Russell] was in control of the car at all times.”
Verstappen declined to comment on Norris’ penalty when asked about it after the race. “I have my opinion, but I don’t need to say it here,” he said. “I’ll let the stewards do their thing.”
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2024 United States Grand Prix
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