06/11/2021
NEWS STORY
No further action over Williams drivers George Russell and Nicholas Latifi following pit exit misdemeanour.
As the field headed out following the red flag period in Q1, while most had formed a queue in the fast lane, the Williams pair appeared to try and jump the queue as they headed out on to the track, causing a number of drivers to take avoiding action.
Feeling that the Grove pair did not leave the pit lane in the correct order in relation to other cars already in the fast lane, they were summoned by the stewards.
Having heard from both Russell and Latifi and a team representative, representative, the stewards could see that both drivers left the pit lane ahead of cars which had already formed up in the fast lane.
The stewards accepted the team’s explanation that, unless they were first to move to the fast lane, the positioning of their garages, which are located at the end of the pit lane, would make it impossible for their cars to join the end of the line of cars already there.
The stewards also accepted that it is difficult for the driver, having moved out of his garage, to determine exactly where he should filter into the line of cars once they start to leave the pit lane.
In these circumstances, and considering that no unsafe situation was caused in this instance, the stewards determine that no further action was appropriate.
Russell, who qualified 13th, will start 16th following his engine penalty, while Latifi, who qualified 17th, will start 13th.
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