Why Mercedes escaped penalty over missing Las Vegas GP papers

Mercedes have avoided a penalty at the Las Vegas Grand Prix despite failing to submit set-up sheets for both their cars ahead of qualifying.

The Silver Arrows were summoned to the stewards after FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer noted that the team did not submit the documents for George Russell and Kimi Antonelli's cars in Las Vegas.

“At 20.12, Mercedes still had not submitted the set-up sheets for both of their cars,” the document from Bauer said.

Article 40.1 of the FIA F1 sporting regulations states that “each competitor must provide the Technical Delegate with a suspension set-up sheet for both of their cars before each of them leaves the pit lane for the first time during the sprint qualifying session and the qualifying session.”

But Mercedes were let off after demonstrating that the documentation was not supplied on time due to an "IT security issue". 

"Although the FIA did not receive the setup sheet electronically in the specified time, the team was able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Stewards, with copies of the relevant emails, that the sheet had been emailed to the appropriate FIA department but due to some IT security issue it was not received in the specified time," the stewards said. 

Russell qualified fourth Sunday’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, while Antonelli was knocked out in Q1 with a time only good enough for 17th on the grid.

Carlos Sainz faces an anxious wait to learn if he will keep third place after being summoned for an incident with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll during qualifying.

Williams were also referred to the stewards for failing to electronically return the required set of intermediate tyres after final practice.