George Russell demands F1 track is changed as Brit left fuming by Max Verstappen

The British F1 star was left fuming after the Mexico Grand Prix as several drivers were able to cut the opening chicane without any punishment, including Max Verstappen

George Russell was left seething following the Mexico Grand Prix after several drivers cut across the opening chicane without facing any sanctions. Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen both drove across the grass on the opening lap, but surrendered their positions later in the race.

The Mercedes driver believed the absence of penalties was wrong, though such manoeuvres are not unusual in recent years. Turns one to three offer minimal space for drivers to make overtaking moves – while race stewards chose not to penalise the two aforementioned drivers at the time.

Russell, however, pointed to Verstappen departing the circuit several laps later. With that, he said the Red Bull driver ought to have faced punishment.

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“I think I struggle to understand how three guys can just cut the corner and maintain their position,” Russell told PlanetF1.com. They got it wrong. They braked too late.

“They made a mistake, but then they can just cut the corner and continue and there was no punishment for their mistakes. So I was pretty p***** off with that to start with.

“Then where Max came off, went off the track [at] Turn 4, came back on, wrong place wrong time, for me. Again, that should have been penalised, as well.

“We didn’t have the pace, but I think if I came around the first corner in P3, we would have finished P3. That’s the story of the season.

“It was Leclerc, I think I’m watching now, just made no attempt to stay on the track. Verstappen obviously just full risk and got it wrong, but continued in his place, and the guys who did the right thing were the ones who came off worse.”

Lewis Hamilton was the sole driver to face punishment for going off track and received a 10-second time penalty for “leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage” during a tussle with Verstappen. Speaking with Sky Sports, Russell continued: “I think it’s ultimately down to the circuit.

“There is this get-out-of jail free card. If there was gravel, no-one would be there.

“We’ve seen it almost every year we’ve been here. I think it was Carlos [Sainz] last year, Charles [Leclerc] the year before, Lewis [Hamilton] 10 years ago. It’s like lawnmower racing.

“I don’t know, something needs to change there. As I said, if you can just send it down the outside, you can either make it stick, or you just cut the grass and you return in the position you were in before. And that’s not really how it should be.”