Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff indicated he did not agree with the stewards’ decision to penalise George Russell in the United States Grand Prix.

Russell collected a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage while fighting Oscar Piastri for position.

David Coulthard sympathised with Wolff over the penalty call in an interview for Viaplay. “I think the-five-second penalty was… I’m not sure what they were smoking,” said the former Former Formula 1 driver. “This was racing on the first lap so hopefully that gets spoken to the stewards about.”

“It’s legal, here, to smoke so maybe,” Wolff replied.

The stewards said the incident would ordinarily receive a 10-second time penalty but they felt that under the circumstances a less severe sanction was deserved:

Stewards explain reason for Russell’s “mitigated” US GP penalty

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