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FIA launches new George Russell investigation after Mexican Grand Prix
On Sunday, Mercedes excused George Russell from post-race media duties following the Mexico City Grand Prix, where teammate Kimi Antonelli clinched the Formula One championship title.
Team boss Toto Wolff explained Russell was "distraught about the situation," stating the team "let him down on the first straight" during the race.
Russell finished sixth after suffering an "unexpected lack of deployment," while the FIA fined Mercedes $5,579 for the driver leaving the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez early.
Following the race, Russell slipped to fourth in the drivers' standings, 123 points behind the leader, as Red Bull's Max Verstappen moved to second overall and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton held third.
Antonelli's breakthrough season saw him win nine of the 19 races contested, marking a stark contrast to Russell, who entered the year as championship favorite but failed to deliver.
While Kimi Antonelli frenetically hailed his historic World Cup title, his teammate George Russell only wanted to leave. Because he refused his media obligations, Mercedes is now asked to pay.