FIA Race Director Michael Masi has offered his thoughts on George Russell's cheeky overtake on the field in the pitlane at the restart of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

A unique set of circumstances played out in Budapest on Sunday afternoon as the remaining field upon the restart of the Hungarian Grand Prix - bar Lewis Hamilton - pitted after the formation lap to change from intermediate tyres to slicks.

Among them, Williams driver George Russell who, upon leaving his pit box, pulled a cheeky looking move to drive past his competitors who were waiting at the end of the pitlane to take second place in the race.

Later on during the lap, however, he began to let drivers back through and, indeed, Masi has revealed how he and Williams took the decision to do so together as they felt as though they had perhaps flouted rules.

The FIA Race Director and revealed Williams said to him on the radio:

'We've made a mistake, we're gonna drop back behind Fernando [Alonso]' it was actually the team's initiation.

"The team came across and said 'We're going to instruct George to drop back behind Fernando', I think it was, which is why you saw him pull straight off and slow right down.

"I would have referred that [to the stewards] straightaway. [It was the right thing for them to do.] Absolutely."

Russell got away without a penalty given the situation was pretty unprecedented and raced on to achieve a ninth place finish - which became eighth when Sebastian Vettel was disqualified for a fuel infringement.