George Russell joked that Lando Norris deserved a fine after the McLaren driver dropped an expletive during the post-race interview at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver, who finished third after a tense fight through the middle stages, was standing with Norris and Max Verstappen when the exchange unfolded.

When David Coulthard said:

“It was nice to see the little joke from Lando saying that you gave Max the opportunity to get the win here.”

Norris corrected and admitted:

“I didn’t, I said, ‘I f**ked it up.”

George Russell immediately chimed in:

“That’s a fine!”

Max Verstappen burst into laughter behind them. The lighthearted moment capped a night in which all three had fought each other hard, especially through the opening laps.

Mercedes had arrived at the race on the back of a promising Saturday. Russell qualified P4, in the mix for a podium. Kimi Antonelli, meanwhile, was caught out by the conditions on his final Q1 lap and lined up P17.

The race began with Lando Norris attempting an aggressive move towards Max Verstappen into Turn 1. That move unsettled the McLaren, forcing him wide and clearing the path for the Red Bull driver to take the lead. George Russell used the opportunity to pass Norris on the straight toward Turn 2 and set up Mercedes for a strong early phase.

The Briton stayed with Verstappen through the opening stretch, but the steering issue he had in qualifying returned. By Lap 8, he dropped out of the dirty air to protect his tires, giving Verstappen room. Mercedes chose to pit Russell early, switching him to the hards on Lap 18. He rejoined behind Isack Hadjar with enough space to warm the tires before overtaking him once DRS was available. That decision kept him ahead of Norris once the order cycled through.

As the final stint settled, Mercedes relied on Antonelli, in P4, to defend the cars behind. The rookie held off Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc on worn tires, giving George Russell clean air while he managed the fault. The plan worked, allowing the British driver to claim the final podium spot behind Verstappen and Norris.

George Russell on steering trouble that shaped his ‘challenging’ 150th Grand Prix

George Russell’s reflections after the race made clear how much the steering problem had shaped his weekend. The Briton was confident heading into qualifying after leading FP3 with a 1:34.054 and controlling both wet phases of time-trial running. But he lost assistance through Q3, leaving him unable to match the peak lap that might have put him alongside polesitter, Lando Norris.

The final session shifted to intermediates as the track dried, but a power-steering problem left him unable to match the front row. The issues returned in the race as he wrote on X afterwards:

“P3 in Vegas🏆🇺🇸 After a great start, it was a very challenging race facing a number of issues. Nevertheless some really solid points for the team. Thanks for all the support for my 150th GP!”

The Mercedes driver was managing both balance and tire life while holding off Norris at the end of the Las Vegas GP. The McLaren driver eventually passed him, but George Russell remained steady enough to secure his ninth podium of the year. His teammate Kimi Antonelli ran an inspired run from P17 to P5.