[George Russell’s Troublesome W16 and the Incredible Podium]

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has shared insights into the issues that British driver George Russell faced during the Bahrain Grand Prix, ultimately leading to an incredible podium finish. The FIA stewards investigated Russell after an accidental DRS activation outside of the DRS zone due to numerous car problems.

[Brake-by-Wire Failure and Incredible Skill]

Wolff praised Russell’s performance, stating, “The brake-by-wire failed suddenly, and then it took a while to find the settings to kind of reset it. But we did that, and then, to be honest, him managing the system coming in and out while having Norris behind him. It’s just an unbelievable drive, to be honest.

He further explained, “And then imagine you have to adjust between one corner having it and the next one not having it, that was just a very good skill.” When asked about the specific systems affected, Wolff confirmed, “The whole lot.

[Investigation and Precedent]

Despite the investigation into Russell for activating the DRS outside of the zone, Wolff noted that there is precedent for similar incidents resulting in ‘no further action.’ He explained, “It has happened before back in 2018.

The FIA authorized manual activation of the DRS in accordance with Article 22.1 h) following the connection failure between the automated DRS activation system and the car due to issues with a timing loop provided by an external party.

[Confirmation and Cause]

It was confirmed that Russell will not be penalized for this incident. The cause of the connection failure is yet unknown, with possibilities including wiring looms in the car or being triggered by the F1 system failure causing their system to malfunction.