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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