George Russell has been given a five-second time penalty following an opening-lap skirmish with McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the United States Grand Prix.
Starting sixth on the grid at the Circuit of the Americas, with Piastri and Norris seventh and eighth, the Mercedes driver kept the Australian and his fellow Briton behind him until the approach to, and exit of, Turn 12.
Russell was forced to leave the track out of the sharp left-hander and into Turn 13, but managed to retain his sixth position as the McLaren pair closed in.
Informed by race engineer Marcus Dudley that he was under investigation, Russell defended himself over team radio by stating: "I was on the inside; he [Piastri] was overtaking on the outside. That's his risk."
Despite the message, the USGP stewards did not agree, handing Russell the penalty.
Russell needs to finish in the top eight to take the drivers' title fight to next weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix, should team-mate Kimi Antonelli take the chequered flag.
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