FIA Grants Mercedes Right of Review Hearing Over George Russell’s Monaco GP Penalty Ahead of Austrian Grand Prix

The Monaco Grand Prix result remains in a state of flux after the FIA confirmed on Wednesday that it has accepted Mercedes’ Right of Review petition concerning the penalties issued to George Russell during the race. A formal hearing has been scheduled for this Saturday, ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix.

According to a document published by the FIA, Mercedes lodged the petition following Alpine’s successful challenge against the pitlane speeding penalties imposed on Pierre Gasly during the Monaco race. The development adds yet another layer of complexity to a result that was already revised last week.

The hearing will proceed in two stages as prescribed by the regulations. In the first stage, stewards will assess whether Mercedes has presented a “significant and relevant new element” that was not available at the time of the original decision. Should that threshold be met, the case advances to a second hearing where the substance of the challenge will be examined on its merits.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff addressed the situation during last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, acknowledging the long odds while affirming the team’s intent to pursue the review. “A drive-through, if it didn’t happen at the end, is equivalent of 20 seconds race time,” Wolff said. “What would 20 seconds race time have meant for his result? Do we think that we realistically have a position, a chance of reverting the result? I don’t think so, but we definitely have to give it a go if we see that there is a millimetre of chance to do so and bring him back to whatever it was before.”

The backdrop to Mercedes’ petition is the timing system controversy that triggered Alpine’s successful appeal. Multiple drivers were penalised during the Monaco race for allegedly exceeding the 60km/h pitlane speed limit. Gasly received two separate five-second penalties, which dropped him from a podium finish to seventh in the final classification. Alpine subsequently presented evidence that the distance used by the official timing system in one pitlane sector was incorrect for Monaco’s pitlane layout. Formula One Management acknowledged the error, confirming the system had been configured incorrectly, and the stewards rescinded both of Gasly’s penalties, restoring him to third place.

Russell’s situation is more complicated than Gasly’s. The Mercedes driver was initially issued a five-second penalty for pitlane speeding, which he attempted to serve during a pitstop. Stewards subsequently ruled that the penalty had not been served correctly, resulting in an additional drive-through penalty that Russell served following the final restart. The sequence eliminated him from the points entirely. Given that FOM has already acknowledged the timing system was functioning incorrectly, it is widely considered possible — though not yet formally established — that Russell’s original speeding penalty may also have been issued in error.

The sporting consequences of Russell’s Monaco result extended well beyond the race itself. The zero-point finish cost him significantly in the Drivers’ Championship standings, proving particularly damaging in his battle against Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli.

It is not yet clear whether Mercedes is specifically seeking to overturn Gasly’s reinstatement to the podium or is challenging Russell’s penalty independently of that decision.

Mercedes is not the only team embroiled in the ongoing Monaco result dispute. McLaren confirmed on Tuesday that it has formally protested the decision to reinstate Gasly. Oscar Piastri was also penalised during the race and, unlike Gasly, served his penalty during the grand prix. As a consequence of Gasly’s reinstatement, Piastri dropped from fourth to fifth in the revised classification. Red Bull has not publicly confirmed its involvement, but the team is reportedly challenging the stewards’ decision as well, with the aim of restoring Isack Hadjar’s podium finish. Hadjar had originally inherited third place following Gasly’s penalties before losing the position when those sanctions were rescinded.