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Mercedes have withdrawn their appeal against the result of the Monaco Grand Prix after reviewing the circumstances surrounding George Russell's penalty and its impact on the final classification.
The Formula 1 championship leaders had submitted a "right of review" request to the FIA after the governing body overturned a 10-second penalty that had been issued to Alpine's Pierre Gasly for speeding in the pit lane. Russell was one of five drivers who were also found to have committed the same offence, with the British driver ultimately dropping from third place to 12th after being penalised.
The situation became more complex after it emerged during Alpine's separate appeal process that officials had incorrectly measured the pit lane speed limit. The FIA had used a longer distance than what drivers could actually use, raising questions about the validity of the original calculations.
However, Mercedes have now decided not to pursue the matter further. Their appeal was scheduled to be heard on 20 June, but the team concluded that there was no realistic way to reconstruct what Russell's finishing position might have been, given the sequence of events that unfolded during the race.
Russell's penalty situation was complicated by multiple incidents during the Grand Prix. He initially received the pit lane speeding penalty for exceeding the limit by just 0.1km/h. Shortly afterwards, a safety car was deployed following a crash involving Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, during which Russell pitted but failed to serve the penalty correctly amid confusion.
The race was then red-flagged after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed, suspending proceedings. During the stoppage, officials confirmed that Russell would serve a drive-through penalty for not correctly serving his earlier sanction. Despite Russell's request for clarification and a plea to postpone the penalty decision until after the race resumed, stewards upheld the ruling.
When racing restarted, Russell served the drive-through penalty, which ultimately dropped him out of the podium positions.
Under Formula 1 regulations, Mercedes could only request a review of the original five-second penalty, not the later drive-through penalty, which was deemed correctly applied once the initial penalty was considered unserved. After reviewing the legal framework, Mercedes concluded there was no viable remedy available.
The team initially filed the request during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend to preserve their position within FIA deadlines, allowing additional time to assess the case.
A Mercedes spokesperson said discussions with the FIA and Formula 1 showed a willingness to review the unusual circumstances surrounding the Monaco incident. The team added that, given this cooperation and the complexity of the situation, continuing the appeal would not benefit either Mercedes or the wider sport, leading to their decision to withdraw it.
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