George Russell deliberately cut a chicane at the Monaco Grand Prix after his patience ran out from being stuck behind slower cars for almost 50 laps.
The Mercedes driver, who had started 14th on the grid after his car broke down in qualifying, found himself trapped in a frustrating situation as teams ahead manipulated the race.
The FIA had introduced a mandatory three-tyre set rule hoping to "promote better racing" during the event.
Instead, several teams exploited this by instructing one of their drivers to lap significantly off the pace, creating space for their teammates to pit without losing positions.
George Russell snapped during the Monaco Grand Prix
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This tactical approach created a domino effect throughout the field, leaving Russell increasingly frustrated as he was forced to lap much slower than his car was capable of.
The manipulation began when Racing Bulls instructed Liam Lawson to back off to help Isack Hadjar, followed by Williams drivers who slowed down and swapped positions to assist each other.
Russell, who could have started ahead of these cars with better luck in qualifying, was caught in this tactical web.
By lap 19, Lawson had successfully held up the midfield long enough for Hadjar to complete his second pit stop. Though Lawson could then increase his pace, the Williams drivers immediately implemented the same strategy, ensuring Russell remained trapped.
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George got frustrated on track and took a penalty
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The situation worsened when Carlos Sainz deliberately slowed to allow Alexander Albon to complete his pit stop. Mercedes warned Russell that Williams would swap their drivers' positions, but the team chose a location that made it difficult for Russell to capitalise on the manoeuvre.
Now stuck behind Albon, Russell had lost so much time that drivers who had pitted were catching up to him. This is when he began considering alternative ways to get ahead.
Eventually, Russell took matters into his own hands by cutting across the Nouvelle chicane, deliberately emerging in front of Albon.
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When Mercedes advised him to give the position back, he refused, stating he would "take the penalty" instead.
Speaking on the team radio, Russell was clearly furious and said: "I’ll take the penalty. [Albon's] driving erratically. He’s on fresh tyres, already two second behind. It’s clear what they’re trying to do, and it’s f***ing dangerous."
The stewards interpreted this as an intentional violation and, rather than issuing the usual 10-second time penalty, ordered Russell to serve a drive-through penalty.
Russell's frustration with the situation was evident, as he had been confined to lapping at a pace far below what his Mercedes was capable of for nearly 50 laps due to the strategic games being played ahead of him
The drivers played tactics to get around the new rules from the FIA
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In response to the penalty, Russell instructed Mercedes to use his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli to back up the drivers behind him, which Antonelli did.
This strategic move allowed Russell to complete his final two pit stops whilst maintaining his position.
Despite Antonelli's sacrifice, which left him at the back of the field, Russell ultimately regained the 11th place he had held at the beginning of the situation. Both Russell and his race engineer Dudley expressed appreciation for Antonelli's team play.
The incident did give Russell the opportunity to put in some flying laps, nearly securing the fastest lap of the race.
However, he was clearly unimpressed with Formula 1's experimental three-tyre rule, which had been intended to improve racing but instead led to tactical manipulation that compromised his race.
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