Russell and Antonelli cleared after FIA probe into Las Vegas qualifying paperwork glitch
Mercedes can breathe out. George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli have avoided penalties in Las Vegas after an FIA investigation into a missing qualifying set-up sheet ended with both drivers cleared.
The team was referred to the stewards by FIA technical boss Jo Bauer when the governing body didn’t receive Mercedes’ mandatory set-up declaration in the allotted time ahead of qualifying. Russell and Antonelli were summoned after the session as the FIA launched a brief inquiry.
In the end, it wasn’t a smoking gun so much as a spam filter. Mercedes showed the stewards timestamped correspondence indicating the documents had been emailed to the right FIA department, but an IT security snag meant they didn’t land on time at the other end. The stewards accepted the explanation and ruled no further action was necessary for either car.
To paraphrase the verdict: while the FIA did not receive the set-up sheet electronically within the specified window, Mercedes demonstrated—via copies of the relevant emails—that the submission was sent as required, and a security issue prevented timely receipt. An identical decision was issued for Antonelli.
It’s the sort of paperwork drama that can snowball on a Saturday, especially at a venue as tightly choreographed as Las Vegas. Teams are required to lock in and declare their configuration for qualifying, and laps turned under a cloud can quickly invite grid pain. Not today. The ruling keeps Mercedes’ qualifying efforts intact and their Sunday picture unchanged.
For Russell, it’s a bullet dodged on a weekend where track evolution and timing are everything. For Antonelli, Mercedes’ highly watched newcomer, it’s one less off-track distraction as he continues bedding into the big leagues. And for the FIA, it’s a reminder that the dullest part of the job—managing forms and firewalls—can still shape the headlines.
It also underscores a modern pit-lane reality: compliance isn’t just about bolts and ride heights anymore. The administrative plumbing has to work, too. When it doesn’t, you’d better have the receipts—quite literally, in email form.
No penalties, no grid changes, no late-night scramble for Brackley. Just a procedural scare in neon lights, resolved with an apology to the inbox. If there’s any further guidance from the FIA on how to avoid a repeat, we’ll bring it as it lands.
