George Russell departed the Mexican Grand Prix circuit and skipped immediate Formula One title celebrations for his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli after a series of technical failures and penalties. The British driver was fined approximately £4,000 for leaving the track and not fulfilling media duties.
Antonelli, 20, secured the Formula One championship after finishing third at the Mexican GP, becoming the youngest title winner in history with four races remaining in his second full season. However, Russell's race was plagued by an engine battery deployment failure that dropped him from second to sixth, along with a ten-second penalty for a collision with Isaac Hadjar.
"I saw George after the race on the FIA scales, and obviously he's distraught about the situation," said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. "It was a great show of sportsmanship to go and see Kimi. I have known George for such a long time. So, I saw him and thought, for a racing driver, this is a catastrophic moment. And maybe today the race was a little bit a picture of his season. This was a race for him to win. We had the pace in the car. And we let him down on the first straight. The energy delivery is not what we thought it should be."
Wolff expressed understanding for Russell's reaction. "So, him not doing the media work, or leaving the track, is absolutely understandable. Him staying would have actually surprised me," he added.
Russell, who entered the season as Mercedes' number one driver, has faced a challenging year. He is currently fourth in the drivers' standings, and has experienced multiple race retirements, including in Canada, Belgium, and Singapore, leading to significant point losses. Additional issues have included a water leak, anti-stall problems in Hungary, a power unit issue in Malaysia, and further complications in China, Japan, and the United States.
Despite Russell's frustrations, Antonelli celebrated his historic achievement. "We did it! And without them, I wouldn't be here, without Mercedes, without my family," Antonelli said. "So, I'm very grateful for this moment, and it's one that will live forever. I'm speechless. I'm trying to process what just happened."
Lewis Hamilton, who finished second in the race, congratulated Antonelli. "A huge congratulations to Kimi and the Mercedes team. It's great to see them all up here celebrating their success. Youngest world champion ever. It's pretty phenomenal, and I'm so grateful to be in the race to witness it," Hamilton stated. Max Verstappen, who finished third, also praised Antonelli's performance and season.