Mercedes Withdraws Right of Review Over Monaco GP Penalty

Mercedes has formally withdrawn its Right of Review request regarding George Russell's penalty from the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, cancelling a scheduled stewards' hearing. The team was seeking to overturn a drive-through penalty that dropped Russell out of the points after officials ruled he had served an initial pit lane speeding penalty incorrectly.

Why it matters:

The withdrawal closes a contentious post-race saga that began when Alpine successfully appealed Pierre Gasly's penalties using fresh FOM timing data. While Gasly's reinstatement to the podium reshuffled the results, Mercedes and other teams were trapped by a procedural gap: their identical offenses were served during the race, removing the right to appeal. The case exposed a frustrating inconsistency in how the FIA handles mid-race versus post-race sanctions.

The details:

• Russell was handed a pit lane speeding penalty during the Monaco race, which became a drive-through when stewards deemed it served incorrectly, knocking him out of the points.
• Alpine secured Gasly's podium reinstatement days later because his penalties were applied only after the chequered flag, creating a review window that Mercedes lacked.
• Toto Wolff confirmed the Right of Review filing during the Barcelona weekend, but Mercedes informed stewards ahead of the June 20 hearing that it was withdrawing the petition.
• The FIA stewards officially noted the cancellation in a report citing Article B1.6.3a of the FIA F1 Regulations in relation to Car 63.

What's next:

With the petition abandoned, the Monaco results stand as certified and Mercedes must absorb the championship blow. The episode adds fresh pressure on the FIA to clarify protest procedures, as teams remain vulnerable to inconsistent appeal rights depending on when penalties are issued during a race weekend.