George Russell’s fourth place safe after FIA technical glitch delays Mercedes emails | F1 Las Vegas GP. George Russell keeps his fourth place after Mercedes is cleared.

F1 | Mercedes cleared: setup emails were blocked by FIA technical issue

George Russell’s fourth place is confirmed. Mercedes came under investigation for allegedly failing to send setup sheets to the FIA on time, but the stewards verified that the emails were indeed sent and were blocked by the Federation’s cybersecurity systems.

George Russell, along with teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, was under scrutiny because Mercedes had not transmitted the setup sheets for both cars before qualifying, when the Parc Fermé rules come into effect.

Teams are required to send their car specifications to the FIA for checks to prevent any changes to the setup between Saturday and Sunday once Parc Fermé is in place. At that stage, only minimal adjustments are allowed, such as front wing angle, while modifications to more significant components would result in a pit lane start.

Interestingly, there is no specific regulation determining the penalty for failing to send the documents. The decision can vary depending on mitigating factors, especially if the delay is due to external causes. In theory, the sanction could even go as far as disqualification from qualifying.

Mercedes was supposed to send the documents by 20:00 local time, the start of qualifying, but the sheets did not arrive on time. This delay immediately drew the attention of the stewards, who opened an investigation since, twelve minutes after the start, the documents had still not been received while the drivers were already on track for Q1.

However, when called by the stewards, Mercedes was able to prove that the two emails containing the setup sheets for both cars had been sent to the relevant FIA department. The documentation confirmed that the team complied with the governing body’s timing requirements.

As noted in the stewards’ report, the problem was not the team’s fault but was caused by the FIA’s cybersecurity systems, which prevented the emails sent from Brackley from being received in time, despite being properly sent.

“Although the FIA did not receive the setup sheet electronically within the prescribed time, the team was able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the stewards, through copies of the relevant emails, that the document had been sent to the competent FIA department, but due to a cybersecurity issue, it was not delivered within the required deadline,” the stewards’ document reads.

Following these checks, the stewards decided not to impose any penalties, confirming George Russell’s fourth place on the grid.