Russell apologises to FIA and marshals after headrest incident at Canadian GP

George Russell has apologised to the FIA and marshals after being handed a suspended €5,000 fine for throwing his Mercedes W17 headrest onto the track during his retirement from the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Russell had been locked in a close battle with team-mate Kimi Antonelli for the lead when power unit issues ended his race. Visibly frustrated, he threw the headrest to the ground as he climbed out of the car on the side of the track, and later discarded his gloves in similar fashion.

The stewards reviewed video evidence and heard from both Russell and the Mercedes team representative before issuing the fine, which is suspended for 12 months on the condition that no comparable incident occurs. In their ruling, the stewards noted that Russell “expressed his embarrassment at what subsequently followed” and “acknowledged that it did not set a good example.”

“He apologised to the stewards for his action and offered to apologise publicly,” the stewards’ statement read. “The Stewards acknowledged this and accepted his apology.”

Russell followed up with a public statement on social media. “Apologies to the marshals and FIA for making their job harder than it needed to be. Lots of emotions in the moment,” he wrote.

The retirement proved costly in the championship standings. Russell had arrived in Montreal already 20 points behind Antonelli, but the 19-year-old Italian’s fourth victory of the season — combined with Russell’s DNF — has stretched that gap to 43 points. Russell is chasing his first drivers’ title, and the deficit now represents a significant obstacle with the next round scheduled at Monaco on 5–7 June.