Russell spared by stewards in Bahrain, Hulkenberg disqualified

It's official: George Russell retains his podium finish in Bahrain! The Briton, who finished second at the Bahrain Grand Prix, was under investigation by the stewards for a DRS-related infraction. Indeed, the driver Mercedes manually opened his movable rear wing when he was unable to do so during the race. This was an involuntary opening since, according to the Englishman, his DRS opened… when he pressed the button on his radioFaced with the numerous problems encountered by driver No. 63 at the end of the race, the stewards showed understanding and decided not to penalize George Russell, who therefore officially finished 2nd in the Bahrain round.

In the report of the decision, the commissioners explain the reason for their leniency towards George Russell. “On the straight between Turns 10 and 11, [Russell] tried to contact the team by radio using this button, but accidentally activated DRS. DRS was activated over a distance of 37 meters on a straight of approximately 700 meters. While he gained 0,02 seconds, he lost 0,28 seconds at the following corner to compensate. This was confirmed by telemetry. Accordingly, although there was technically an infringement, the stewards decide that there was no sporting advantage and no penalty should be imposed.”

However, Nico Hulkenberg did not benefit from the same leniency. The German, 13th at the finish of the race, was disqualified from the Bahrain Grand Prix for a technical infringement. As for the Ferrari de Lewis Hamilton In Shanghai, the No. 27 Sauber suffered excessive wear on its rear skid plate, which was too thin at the end of the race, between 8,4 and 8,5 mm. The technical regulations of the World Championship stipulate that skid plates must measure at least 9 mm after the race. This disqualification had no consequences for the championship, as Nico Hülkenberg finished outside the points.

Following the FIA ​​Post-Race balloting checks, Nico's car was found not to conform with the regulations, with a skid plank wear in excess of the limit set by the rules. As a result, Nico was disqualified from the Bahrain Grand Prix. We will take the necessary learnings from… pic.twitter.com/VM0M4TkYBQ

— Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber (@stakef1team_ks) April 13, 2025

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