Mercedes were fined €5,000 by FIA stewards after George Russell left the Mexico City Grand Prix circuit without fulfilling his press obligations. The Brit did not attend the mandatory post-race interviews, in which he finished sixth, as his team-mate Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 world title.
The sanction was issued to the team after a Mercedes representative confirmed to the stewards that Russell had already left the circuit without taking part in the scheduled activities. The regulations require drivers to appear before television broadcasts and print journalists after races, unless they receive a medical exemption from the FIA.
The absence occurred after a decision pivotal to the title fight. Antonelli secured the world championship by finishing third in the Mexico GP, while Russell’s sixth place confirmed that the Briton could no longer catch the Italian in the standings.
After the checkered flag, Russell did not appear in the area reserved for interviews, failing to meet with both television teams and print journalists.
The matter was referred to the stewards, who heard a Mercedes representative. During the proceedings, the team confirmed that the driver had left the circuit before fulfilling his mandatory obligations.
In light of the breach, the stewards imposed a €5,000 fine on Mercedes. The financial penalty was directed at the team, not directly at the driver.
The decision brings the investigation into Russell’s absence from post-race interviews after the Mexican GP to a close, on a Sunday marked by Antonelli’s world title triumph and by the confirmation of the Briton’s defeat in the title race.
