Mercedes driver George Russell escaped a penalty from the stewards in the closing stages of the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix for an incident with Oscar Piastri.
Russell had been chasing Piastri for several laps in a fight for seventh place, but the McLaren driver was utilising DRS from Fernando Alonso to maintain his place.
Approaching the closing stages, the Briton attempted a move up the inside of the chicane at Turn 16, prompting slight contact that saw Piastri cut across the corner.
Race control wanted to investigate the incident once the race was over and after hearing from both sides and reviewing video evidence, decided not to penalise Russell.
The official document from the stewards stated that Russell did not “dive in” and that he was in control of his Mercedes W15 car through the approach to the chicane.
Taking into consideration driving standards, the stewards noted Russell had become entitled to “racing room” as his front axle was situated in front of Piastri’s mirrors.
Apart from this, the Stewards also evaluated Piastri’s reaction to the incident, as he cut the chicane following Russell’s sweep attempt, citing he returned in a safe manner.
“The driving standards are however silent on what action is required of a driver who leaves the track to avoid a collision or is forced off, safely rejoins the track and retains position.”
The stewards also felt that this move from the McLaren driver had the intention of avoiding “risking another collision with perhaps more serious consequences.”
The document also mentioned while claiming it’s not a “determining point,” both drivers and teams agreed about the incident no being worth of the imposition of any kind of penalty.”
Following this decision, Russell retained the seventh-place finish that he managed after a mistake from Piastri on the penultimate lap that opened up an overtake.
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