George Russell discovers Japanese GP penalty verdict after ‘very dangerous’ incident
George Russell was placed under investigation during qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix.
George Russell has escaped a penalty for the Japanese Grand Prix after the Mercedes star was placed under investigation for an unsafe release during Q1 on Saturday.
Early on in Saturday's qualifying session, Russell was released directly into the path of McLaren's Oscar Piastri, forcing the Aussie to take avoiding action as he expressed frustration at the "very dangerous" move.
As a result, the Mercedes star was placed under investigation with both drivers taking trips to the stewards after the session. The result was a £4300 (€5000) fine for the Mercedes team.
The FIA report on the verdict dictated: "The driver of Car 63 stated that on receiving the release signal from his mechanic, he had intended to drive down the working lane, however, he saw the mechanic from Car 44 in his peripheral vision and in order to avoid him, he claimed he had to move into the fast lane. He was not able to see the approach of Car 81."
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While Russell avoided a penalty for his involvement in the incident, Saturday's qualifying was still a frustrating one for the Brit, who ended the session down in P9.
Offering his analysis to Sky Sports F1, he said: "It's just so tight out there between ourselves, McLaren, Aston Martin and Ferrari. If you nail that lap, you will be at the front of that pack.
"If you don't, you will be at the back. We knew this circuit would be a slight challenge for us. We know our limitation would be the high-speed corners."
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However, the 26-year-old was positive about his chances of moving forward from a P9 grid slot during the Grand Prix on Sunday, adding: "I think there's a lot that can happen and everyone has different tyres available.
"There will be many different strategies and a lot of opportunities. I think it will be a good race. It's so tight out there between everyone. If you do a good job and nail it, you will jump three, four, five positions and compared to last year that would be one position."
On the other side of the garage, Lewis Hamilton was classified in P7 with the seven-time world champion left feeling positive about the lack of changes that he and his crew had needed to make until this point in the weekend.