Official: Stewards rule on Charles Leclerc vs George Russell overtake incident | F1 Dutch Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc’s daring overtake on George Russell at the Dutch Grand Prix was investigated by the stewards.

F1 Dutch GP – Charles Leclerc’s overtake on George Russell: the stewards’ verdict on the penalty

After hearing both George Russell and Charles Leclerc at the end of the Dutch Grand Prix, the stewards finally delivered their verdict on the investigation and potential penalty. Leclerc’s daring move on the Mercedes driver was without doubt the most exciting moment of a race that otherwise lacked major thrills. However, despite the spectacular nature of the manoeuvre, the stewards decided to investigate whether the Ferrari driver had gone beyond the limits of the regulations, with the outcome only being revealed after the chequered flag.

The race stewards opted to take their time, waiting until they had spoken to both drivers, each accompanied by representatives of their respective teams in race control. Russell and Leclerc gave their versions of what happened midway through the race, when the Ferrari number 16 managed to overtake the Mercedes number 63 with a move that pushed right to the edge of legality.

Charles Leclerc had taken advantage of the Virtual Safety Car period to close the gap and gain a few crucial tenths on Russell, before launching his attack as soon as racing resumed. In doing so, he braked extremely late and aggressively, which forced him slightly beyond the track limits. Immediately after the move, the Monegasque opened his radio to justify himself, saying: “He didn’t leave me any space. He has nothing to complain about.” Russell’s response was just as quick: “He overtook me by going off the track. He simply cannot do that.”

The stewards’ decision on Charles Leclerc’s overtake

This back-and-forth between the drivers is exactly why the stewards decided not to rush into issuing a penalty and instead to carefully evaluate the incident. Their verdict arrived only after the conclusion of the Dutch Grand Prix, as they considered all the evidence and testimonies before making their final call.

In the end, Charles Leclerc was not penalised by race control. The stewards opted to take no further action, a decision that reassures Ferrari fans ahead of the next round in Monza, where the expectations will be even higher for the Scuderia and its star driver.