The Brackley-based team had a rough outing in São Paulo, with strategic missteps costing George Russell a shot at victory, while Lewis Hamilton could only manage a 10th-place finish after a disappointing qualifying session.
Russell ultimately finished fourth behind the two Alpine drivers, but he had been leading the race when Mercedes opted to pit him during a Virtual Safety Car period. Unfortunately, a poorly timed red flag later on benefited Max Verstappen, Esteban Ocon, and Pierre Gasly, who secured free pit stops.
Mercedes Fined by FIA for Tyre Pressure Violation
Following their challenging Brazilian Grand Prix, Mercedes also faced a fine for a tyre pressure infringement, which the FIA confirmed post-race.
The issue occurred during an aborted race start, which was delayed by 10 minutes after Lance Stroll’s spin. Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, explained how the confusion on the grid led to the penalty and how it could have been even more severe.
Shovlin elaborated on Mercedes’ YouTube channel:
“When we got the notification for the restart, it was immediately followed by a 10-minute countdown. According to regulations, the tyres must be fitted to the car with five minutes remaining, giving us only a few minutes to transport the tyres, fit them, and have them checked by the FIA.”
He further explained that the set of tyres they intended to use wasn’t on the racks but on wheelie boards for easier mobility. “Those tyres hadn’t yet been bled down to race pressures,” Shovlin noted. “The engineers were urgently adjusting the pressures, while the tyre technicians scrambled to prepare all the sets. We were racing against that critical five-minute deadline, which carries a severe penalty if missed.”
Ultimately, the team was fined because they ran out of time for the mandatory FIA checks before the start, according to Shovlin.
