Mercedes have withdrawn their Right of Review request over George Russell’s Monaco Grand Prix penalty, leaving the 2026 race result dispute without a fresh challenge from the Brackley team.
Russell was penalised for a pit-lane speeding infringement in Monaco and later served a drive-through after failing to take the original sanction correctly. The sequence dropped the Mercedes driver out of the points after he had been running in podium contention.
The team had lodged a review request after Alpine successfully challenged Pierre Gasly’s comparable penalty, which restored the Frenchman to third place. But Mercedes have now stepped away from their own case, according to Formula 1’s official update.
Mercedes Leave FIA To Address Monaco Fallout
Mercedes said discussions with the FIA and Formula 1 had shown a willingness to review the circumstances around Monaco and address the factors behind the controversy. That position, rather than a belief that Russell’s lost points were recoverable, appears to have shaped the withdrawal.
The decision matters because Monaco has become a test case for how Formula 1 handles penalties already served during a race. Gasly’s time penalties could be removed from the classification, while Russell’s drive-through had already changed his race in real time.
For Russell, the immediate damage remains: a pointless Monaco finish on a weekend when Mercedes had the pace to fight near the front. For the FIA, the bigger issue is ensuring teams trust the timing and review process before another tight pit-lane call shapes a grand prix result.
