George Russell has been fined €5,000 by the FIA after leaving the circuit without attending his mandatory post-race media interviews following the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver departed the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez after a disappointing sixth-place finish, on the same afternoon that his team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli celebrated becoming Formula 1 world champion.
The FIA stewards determined that Russell’s absence from his post-race media commitments was unjustified and imposed a financial penalty. The sanction added another frustration to an already difficult afternoon for the British driver, whose hopes of fighting at the front had been undermined by a poor start, a collision and a separate time penalty during the race.
George Russell suffers another disappointing Mexico GP result
The Mexican Grand Prix proved to be another Sunday to forget for George Russell. Starting from the front row, the Mercedes driver had hoped to take some of the spotlight on the day of Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s coronation as world champion, but his race unravelled almost immediately.
A poor getaway and a collision involving Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar saw Russell drop to fifth place by the end of the opening lap. The stewards subsequently handed the British driver a 10-second penalty for the contact with the Frenchman, further compromising his chances of recovering lost ground.
Russell eventually finished sixth, a disappointing result considering his starting position and ambitions heading into the race. It represented another setback for the Mercedes driver, who had already experienced a difficult United States Grand Prix compared with Andrea Kimi Antonelli, whose strong performances had brought him closer to the championship.
The contrast between the two Mercedes drivers was particularly striking in Mexico. While Russell was left reflecting on a race compromised by incidents and penalties, Antonelli was celebrating the biggest achievement of his young career after moving to the brink of the world title with his Austin victory.
George Russell skips post-race interviews as Kimi Antonelli celebrates F1 title
With Andrea Kimi Antonelli celebrating his maiden Formula 1 world championship and Russell having endured such a disappointing race, the British driver’s frustration appeared considerable. Following the chequered flag, he left the circuit without taking part in the traditional post-race media interviews.
His departure stood in contrast to the behaviour of the other leading drivers, who used their media appearances to publicly congratulate Antonelli on his newly secured championship. Russell’s decision to miss his commitments attracted further attention because no justification was provided for his absence.
The circumstances were particularly notable given the different fortunes experienced by the two Mercedes drivers. While Antonelli’s championship represented the culmination of an outstanding season, Russell had endured another difficult afternoon, adding to the challenges surrounding his performances relative to his team-mate.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had previously addressed Russell’s difficulties against Antonelli, acknowledging the team’s role in the situation. In Mexico, however, the British driver’s frustration was followed by an additional sanction unrelated to his on-track performance.
FIA fines George Russell €5,000 for missing mandatory media duties
George Russell’s departure from the circuit without fulfilling his post-race media commitments resulted in a €5,000 fine imposed by the FIA stewards. Unlike certain absences that can be excused on legitimate grounds, the Mercedes driver’s failure to attend was not considered justified.
That distinction was important. Earlier in the weekend, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Valtteri Bottas had both been excused from their Thursday media commitments because they were suffering from illness. No equivalent justification was provided for Russell’s absence following Sunday’s race.
In the official decision issued at the end of the day, the FIA stewards explained the circumstances that led to the financial penalty.
“The stewards were informed by the team representative that the driver had left the circuit without attending the scheduled post-race media commitments,” the FIA statement read.
“Taking into account that the stewards may proceed to issue a decision even in the event of a failure to appear at the hearing, the competitor is fined €5,000.”
The penalty completed a frustrating Mexican Grand Prix for Russell. Having started alongside Lewis Hamilton on the front row, he finished sixth after his opening-lap difficulties and 10-second penalty, before attracting further attention for his absence from the post-race interviews.
For Mercedes, the afternoon produced two sharply contrasting outcomes: Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 Formula 1 world championship, while George Russell left Mexico City with a disappointing race result and an additional €5,000 FIA sanction.
Related Mercedes and Formula 1 news
- Kimi Antonelli reveals how Peter Bonnington helped secure his Austin F1 victory
- Kimi Antonelli’s ninth F1 victory boosts Italian television audiences
- 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix weekend schedule and coverage
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