Russell and Antonelli penalized on the Bahrain GP grid

Charles Leclerc et Pierre Gasly are happy men tonight. The two friends, already on the back of a very good qualification, both gained a place following the drivers' penalty. MercedesGeorge Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who qualified 2nd and 4th, received a grid penalty for the Bahrain GP after a team error.

Following the red flag caused by Esteban Ocon In Q2, Mercedes allowed its drivers to leave the garage and enter the pit lane before race control had officially announced the restart time, which is prohibited.

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The stewards ruled that Mercedes had gained a sporting advantage by placing its two drivers ahead of the rest of the grid, which would have allowed the W16s to run longer when other teams would potentially be deprived of that time. They also felt that a fine would not be a sufficient deterrent for other teams and that it could open the door to future misconduct.

George Russell therefore loses his second place to Charles Leclerc. The Briton will start from the second row (3rd) alongside Pierre Gasly. The Norman, who set the 5th fastest time in Q3, climbs one place thanks to the penalty imposed on Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

The Mercedes drivers' premature exit from their garage was immediately noted by the experienced driver Nico Hulkenberg and the Sauber pit wall, which did not fall into the trap.

"We think they're wrong" 🕵🏻‍♂️

When Hulkenberg and Sauber saw before everyone else that Mercedes would be penalized 😁#BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/nkQEZWk0Lr

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) April 12, 2025