Mercedes took a €5,000 fine after George Russell walked away from post-race media obligations in Mexico City, capping a miserable Sunday that saw his car betray him again. Russell lost three places off the original start when his power unit wouldn't give full deployment down the straight, then collected a 10-second penalty for tangling with Isack Hadjar on his way to a salvaged sixth.
It was the wrong day for reliability gremlins. His teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli wrapped up the drivers' championship while Russell nursed a broken car through 71 laps. Toto Wolff didn't sugarcoat it: "There have been too many occasions this season where we have let George down." Russell's statement echoed the theme—frustration with issues "outside of my control."
The stewards noted Russell left the circuit without attending their hearing. For a driver who's carried Mercedes through a season of uneven machinery, skipping the microphones felt like the least of the problems.
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