Mercedes found itself in hot water just before the qualifying round of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Brackley-based team had made last-minute adjustments to the W15, without reporting these changes to the FIA. However, after investigation, the stewards decided not to impose any penalties.
Teams are required to register any changes to the setup as soon as the car is officially entered for a session, but Mercedes failed to make this notification. As the qualifying round had just begun, the FIA immediately intervened. Technically, the Mercedes cars participated in the Las Vegas Grand Prix qualifying round with an ‘illegal’ setup. The stewards investigated the situation, reviewed all documentation, and spoke with involved team members from Mercedes.
The FIA decided not to take any further action against Mercedes for failing to submit the setup list. According to the official statement from the sports federation, the situation did not meet the criteria for a penalty. Therefore, Mercedes is allowed to keep its results in Las Vegas, with P4 for George Russell and P17 for Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the qualifying round.
