Mercedes fined €10,000 by the stewards for infringement of Parc Ferme rules

Mercedes have been fined €10,000 for breaching Parc Ferme regulations at the Spanish Grand Prix. Apparently, the physiotherapists/assistants of drivers number 63 and 44 were seen on the Parc Ferme at a time when they were not supposed to be there.

The decision came well after the race when both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished on the podium. They were present for the celebrations, but a piece of video evidence revealed that their 'assistants' were there at a prohibited time as well. The statement from the Stewards read,

"The Stewards received a report from the Media Delegate, which was subsequently confirmed by video evidence, that the physios/drivers' assistants of Cars 44 and 63 entered parc ferme in violation of the Post Race Interview and Podium Ceremony Procedure that was published prior to the race 'for the orderly conduct of the event.'"

Mercedes were brilliant during the Spanish Grand Prix, arguably the second fastest car on the grid, and that was where they finished. Hamilton and Russell marked the podium finishing right behind race winner Max Verstappen, who led the entirety of the Grand Prix.

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Can Mercedes battle Red Bull later in the season with regular upgrades?

Perhaps the biggest upgrade that Mercedes has brought this season was the one in Monaco - completely changing the sidepods. It didn't prove to be of much change during that race, but the two drivers had extreme pace in the Spanish GP, and it looked difficult for anyone to challenge the duo.

Adding onto that, the tire management seemed pretty good with Mercedes as both Hamilton and Russell pushed their soft tires for over 20 laps on a track that is usually labeled as a 'tire eater.' With this win, they might target Red Bull now, as Hamilton also remarked in his post-race interview.

However, challenging the Milton Keyes outfit isn't as simple as it sounds, especially since the team has won every single race this season. Even during the Spanish GP, Max Verstappen drove freely without being under any threat. Although there was a little battle from Carlos Sainz at the start, he was able to build a sufficient gap.

Lewis Hamilton remarked that the Silver Arrows might be strong enough by the end of the season to chase the Bulls, however, that is not guaranteed. He noted that the chase could well stretch into the 2024 season.