Hamilton among F1 drivers cleared as Russell also gets five-place grid drop

George Russell has become the second Formula 1 driver to receive a five-place grid penalty after he failed to slow sufficiently for yellow flags during Turkish Grand Prix qualifying. 

Russell, who was already set to start the Turkish Grand Prix from the back of the grid after exceeding his power unit allocation for the season, was slapped with an additional five-place grid drop following a yellow-flag infringement in Q1.

Following an investigation, FIA stewards concluded that Russell “did not have his car fully under control” as he passed the spinning AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat at Turn 2.

“Car 63 [Russell] approached turn two, which was under double yellow flags for car 26 [Kvyat] who was spinning off track on the outside of the turn,” the stewards explained.

“While Car 63 made an attempt to slow when encountering the double yellow flags, in the opinion of the stewards he slowed insufficiently and did not have his car under full control as he approached and then passed Car 26.

“This lack of full control clearly breaches the regulations. The driver also set a meaningful lap time on this lap which in and of itself breaches the requirements set out by the race director’s notes.”

Russell was also given three penalty points for the incident, bringing his 12-month total to six.

The stewards ruled that pole sitter Lance Stroll, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, Kvyat and the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas all slowed sufficiently for yellow flags in the first part of qualifying.

McLaren pair Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris were also hit with penalties for Sunday’s race. Norris got a five-place grid penalty for setting his fastest lap under double-waved yellow flags in Q1, while Sainz was handed a three-place grid drop for impeding Racing Point’s Sergio Perez.