George Russell’s DRS Infringement Under Investigation

The thrilling race at the Bahrain Grand Prix saw a potential twist as George Russell, racing for Mercedes, may face a penalty due to an infraction involving the Drag Reduction System (DRS) on his W16. The FIA stewards are set to investigate the incident post-race.

DRS Issue and Transponder Problems

On lap 45, Russell’s race engineer, Marcus Dudley, informed him of a DRS issue on the W16, limiting his ability to open it only when instructed by the team. Additionally, the car experienced transponder issues, which could have affected Lando Norris’s McLaren, making it difficult for Norris to detect Russell in front of him.

Despite crossing the line in second position behind Oscar Piastri of McLaren, Russell’s close finish (0.774 seconds) could potentially lead to a time or grid penalty. If Russell receives a 5-second penalty, he would drop to fourth place. Norris put up a valiant fight against Russell in the final laps but was unable to overtake before the checkered flag.

Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle commented on Norris’s race performance, stating, “Lando’s race craft tonight has not been his finest. It will just not fall for him.” Following the race, Russell confirmed a brake-by-wire failure on his car contributed to the issues.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.