Mercedes has informed the FIA it will not proceed with its request to review George Russell’s penalty from the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix.
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The stewards confirmed the withdrawal in a short statement: “The stewards have been informed by Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team that they are withdrawing the petition for Review in respect of the decisions of the stewards of the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, breach of Article B1.6.3a [pit lane speed limit] of the FIA F1 Regulations in relation to car 63.” The hearing had been scheduled to take place on Saturday.
During the race Russell was given a five-second time penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed limit. Because the penalty was not served during his next pit stop, the stewards converted it into a drive-through penalty. That drive-through was ultimately served after the race resumed following a red flag period. Russell finished the event outside the points.
Alpine successfully challenged two five-second penalties issued to Pierre Gasly at the same event. Both of Gasly’s penalties had been added to his race finishing time, making them eligible for review and rescission. The stewards found that an incorrect measurement of the pit lane length had led to the erroneous finding that Gasly exceeded the speed limit, and his penalties were overturned.
Several other drivers were affected by pit lane speed checks during the race for the same reason, including McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. In response to the stewards’ decision to cancel Gasly’s penalties and the resulting adjustment to the race result and championship standings, McLaren confirmed on Tuesday that it has lodged a formal appeal.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had earlier said he believed the team’s chances of winning a review of Russell’s penalty were slim. With the withdrawal of the petition, Mercedes will not pursue the right of review any further for this incident.
This marks the second time Mercedes has sought a Right of Review in Formula 1. The team’s earlier request, made over an incident between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix, was denied by the stewards.
The sequence of events in Monaco highlighted how technical measurements and the interpretation of regulations can have wide-ranging effects on race results. A five-second penalty applied to race time can be rescinded if the stewards accept that the original finding was based on incorrect data, as happened with Gasly. Conversely, when a time penalty is not served during a pit stop, race control may convert it to an in-race standing penalty such as a drive-through, which is what occurred to Russell.
With Mercedes withdrawing its petition, the results and penalties from the race remain as the stewards recorded them following their reviews and the appeal activity now underway by other teams. The situation also underscores why teams sometimes pursue formal review mechanisms and why they sometimes decide against pressing a case further when the prospects of success appear limited.
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2026 Monaco Grand Prix
- Mercedes abandon petition to review Russell’s Monaco Grand Prix penalty
- Monaco Grand Prix stewards to hear Mercedes’ request for review on Saturday
- McLaren confirms appeal against cancellation of Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix penalties
- Mercedes request Right of Review over Monaco GP result after Russell penalty
- Vowles “would support” Red Bull and McLaren appeal over Gasly’s penalties
Browse all 2026 Monaco Grand Prix articles