AUSTIN — Things have gone from bad to worse for Mercedes here at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.
On Saturday Lewis Hamilton was surprisingly eliminated in Q1, as a front suspension issue on his W15 that occurred during the F1 Sprint Race earlier in the day created problems that one of the world’s legendary drivers simply could not overcome during the session. While George Russell advanced to Q3, a hard shunt near the end of the qualifying segment left Mercedes scrambling Saturday evening to get his upgraded W15 race-ready.
Unfortunately, Mercedes was not able to win that fight.
The repairs to his W15 required a longer period of time than allowed for under Article 40.6 of the Sporting Regulations, and F1 Technical Director Jo Bauer noted that finding, referring the matter to race officials. “The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team did not cover car number 63, driver George Russell, two (2) hours after the end of the qualifying session, but continued to work on the car. As this is not in compliance with Article 40.6 of the 2024 Formula One Sporting Regulations, I am
referring this matter to the Stewards of the meeting for their consideration,” read Bauer’s report.
Article 40.6 of the F1 Sporting Regulations reads as follows:
“Within two (2) hours of the end of both the qualifying session and the sprint session (where it is scheduled) all cars used during each session (or which were intended for use but failed to leave the pit lane) must be covered and ready for FIA seals to be applied in order to ensure that they remain secure until the following day. For marketing purposes this deadline may be extended for one car from each Competitor for a maximum of two (2) hours by prior arrangement with the Technical Delegate. Whilst cars are covered overnight, they may be fitted with devices to keep them warm.”
The team confirmed on Sunday morning that Russell will start from pit lane.
That means when the lights go out here at the Circuit of the Americas later today, Hamilton will at the back of the field, and Russell will roll out from pit lane.
Russell posted a short thread on social media, vowing to do “justice” for the hard work the team put in to get his car ready for the race:
Yesterday was a very disappointing day. The team has worked so hard bringing upgrades to the car, which showed great potential on Friday. Yesterday, we didn’t seem to have that pace and I was pushing beyond the limit, ultimately paying the price with the crash. pic.twitter.com/vuBIYaCrx0
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) October 20, 2024
Still, this could make for a very long afternoon for the Silver Arrows.
