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Formula 1 title outsider Lando Norris and Mercedes driver George Russell have been fined and reprimanded for leaving the grid during the aborted start of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Having completed an initial formation lap, polesitter Norris left the grid for a second time once race control announced that the start had been aborted when Lance Stroll spun and subsequently stopped at the Descida do Lago right-hander on the sighting lap.
A number of drivers followed Norris in leaving the grid but only the McLaren driver, Russell and RB duo Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson did so without authorisation.
These four were all noted soon after by race control and placed under investigation by the stewards, who subsequently announced those cases would be dealt with after the race.
The stewards ruled that Norris and Russell's actions had "triggered following drivers to take similar action", and also acknowledged that the race director was obliged to allow all cars to complete an extra formation lap and instructed all cars to proceed.
The result was the remaining cars were told to follow the train to avoid being a lap down if those cars completed the lap alone.
Having judged both to be accountable for other drivers' actions, the stewards assigned Norris and Russell a reprimand and a €5000 fine.
Tsunoda and Lawson escaped without penalty.
All four drivers therefore keep their finishing positions with no time penalties assigned.
Russell took fourth for a Mercedes team that was also fined a combined €10,000 for adjusting the tyre pressures on both of its cars while the wheels were fitted on the grid after the aborted start.
Norris retains sixth, and drops 62 points behind race winner Max Verstappen in the title fight as a result, while Tsunoda and Lawson remain eighth and ninth in the final classification.
