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Motorsport

Mercedes under investigation over Q2 garage exit incident at Bahrain GP

Mercedes Andrea Kimi Antonelli George Russell Q2 Toto Wolff Bahrain Grand Prix

George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli have both been summoned by the Bahrain Grand Prix stewards for entering the fast lane of the pitlane before a Q2 restart time was officially declared in Formula 1 qualifying.

The intermediate stage of qualifying was interrupted by Esteban Ocon's crash at Turn 3, which enforced a short hiatus in running to extricate his Haas from the gravel and check the wall for damage.

The FIA then sent out a message on its race control bulletin stating an estimated restart time - although this was not marked as an official time. Mercedes elected to send both drivers out regardless to the end of the pitlane; Nico Hulkenberg was heard to remark that he thought it was "dodgy", as his race engineer Steven Petrik told him to remain in the garage.

The German then joined the Mercedes duo in the fast lane when the start time was officially confirmed.

Both Antonelli and Russell were granted stewards' summons, stating an "alleged breach of Article 12.2.1 i) of the International Sporting Code and noncompliance with Race Director’s Event Note (item 19, document 23) – Entering fast lane in the pit lane before a re-start time was confirmed."

Speaking to Sky, team principal Toto Wolff stated that this was a new rule and that he was not aware of any precedents that would indicate how the team would be punished.

"It's a new rule in that sense, and we're going to see what the stewards said. I would hope that it's not the drivers who were penalised for it," Wolff said.

Toto Wolff, Mercedes (Photo by: Peter Fox - Getty Images)

"It was our mistake that we jumped the gun here, but we'll see what happens."

Russell joined Oscar Piastri on the front row of the Bahrain GP's provisional grid after finding strong pace in Q3, while Antonelli marked his best performance with fourth.

The two Mercedes were separated by Charles Leclerc, who found confidence with Ferrari's new updates to burst into third place for Sunday's grid.

Photos from Bahrain GP - Practice & Qualifying

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Fans

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Alexander Albon, Williams

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Alexander Albon, Williams

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

George Russell, Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Lando Norris, McLaren

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Carlos Sainz, Williams

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Cockpit cooling in the Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber

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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Pierre Gasly, Alpine

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Lando Norris, McLaren

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

George Russell, Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Jack Doohan, Alpine

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Lando Norris, McLaren

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Jodie Kidd

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Jack Doohan, Alpine

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor of Alpine F1

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Lando Norris, McLaren

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Carlos Sainz, Williams

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

George Russell, Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team crash

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Lando Norris, McLaren

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team crash car

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, George Russell, Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Zak Brown, McLaren

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, George Russell, Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Lando Norris, McLaren

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, George Russell, Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, George Russell, Mercedes

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix - Saturday

Formula 1

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Formula 1

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