FIA inconsistency? Charles Leclerc’s brilliant pass on George Russell sparks track limits confusion. Charles Leclerc’s spectacular overtake on George Russell at Zandvoort escaped penalty.

Charles Leclerc-George Russell overtake: according to sensors the Ferrari driver went beyond track limits on that lap

A penalty would have been harsh as Frederic Vasseur pointed out, but there is a key discrepancy between the stewards’ official verdict and what the FIA’s automatic systems recorded.

A ‘right’ decision, but was there a mistake?

“We don’t want Leclerc to receive a penalty at Monza because he was taken out by one of our cars, but at the same time I don’t think you can overtake in that way in that left-hand corner. You can try, but there’s no way to make it stick. In that sense, I think Charles is guilty.” Toto Wolff summed up the complicated situation that developed after an unfortunate chain of events. The stewards investigated an incident at the end of the Dutch Grand Prix, a race in which Charles Leclerc was forced to retire early after contact with Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Turn 3.

The Ferrari driver had pulled off a spectacular move on George Russell through the change of direction between Turn 11 and Turn 12, a true masterpiece and a highlight worthy of a top-three spot in the overtakes of the season. However, in real time, this brilliant action immediately sparked debate. In today’s Formula 1, where every overtaking manoeuvre seems to be turned into a complex driving test complete with traffic rules, there appeared to be grounds for a penalty. Russell had been overtaken on the inside despite being tight to the kerb as he turned left into Turn 12.

As Frederic Vasseur highlighted, giving Charles Leclerc a penalty would have been overly severe, especially because the stewards’ delayed investigation meant any sanction would have been applied as a grid penalty at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The final verdict was “no further action,” with the official reasoning stating that there was no evidence Charles Leclerc had completed the move by going off track. Yet, in another FIA document relating to lap time deletions for track limits breaches, it is noted that in the same minute as the Russell incident, Charles Leclerc had indeed exceeded track limits. Below are the two contrasting FIA communications.

A lucky escape, but rules remain confusing

In the end, all’s well that ends well, because such a spectacular move did not deserve to be retrospectively punished with consequences for the following race. However, in modern Formula 1—with oversized cars, narrow tracks and overcomplicated rules—almost every wheel-to-wheel fight seems destined to become a roll of the dice. The same group of stewards gave Carlos Sainz a 10-second penalty when in reality it was Liam Lawson, losing control of his Racing Bulls, who caused the collision with the Spaniard’s Williams. Cases like these only highlight how inconsistent stewarding decisions can feel to teams and fans alike.