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FIA Confirms Russell’s Mercedes Meets 2026 Rules in Austin

By Drooid · Oct 30, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

George Russell finished eighth in Austin after a five-second penalty for leaving the track.
The FIA inspection confirmed Russell’s Mercedes W17 complies fully with 2026 regulations.
Team principal Toto Wolff said Russell has all the ability but the car’s narrow window limits him.
Team principal Helmut Marko argued Russell is no longer Mercedes’ number-one and may never get another title shot.

Summary

Mercedes will field Frederik Vesti in FP1, replacing Russell to meet rookie rule.
Red Bull will run Ayumu Iwasa with Max Verstappen in FP1, meeting rookie quota.
Audi will give 18-year-old Freddie Slater an F1 practice run in Gabriel Bortoleto’s R26.
Haas will field Ryo Hirakawa in Esteban Ocon’s VF-26 for FP1, his ninth appearance.
F1 regulations require each team to run a rookie in FP1 sessions, two per car.

History

In 2003 the FIA ran the seventh GT Championship, a ten-event series from 6 April to 19 October, highlighting its role in top-level racing. The regulator later formalized talent nurturing with the Young Driver Excellence Academy in 2011, selecting 12 drivers, a policy that underpins today’s rookie FP1 line-ups for Mercedes, Red Bull and others.

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In 2003 the FIA ran the seventh GT Championship, a ten-event series from 6 April to 19 October, highlighting its role in top-level racing. The regulator later formalized talent nurturing with the Young Driver Excellence Academy in 2011, selecting 12 drivers, a policy that underpins today’s rookie FP1 line-ups for Mercedes, Red Bull and others.

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