Red Bull has officially lodged a protest against George Russell‘s victory in the Canadian Grand Prix. In the closing stages of the race, which was run under the safety car following a collision between McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, Russell is alleged to have deliberately braked to provoke a penalty for Max Verstappen. If the FIA decides to intervene, the victory in Montreal could yet go to the Dutchman.
George Russell controlled the race from start to finish; after a strong start, he kept Verstappen at a safe distance for seventy laps. However, a late safety car – caused by the McLaren clash – brought the field back together. Russell then appeared to suddenly hit his brake pedal on the straight. Verstappen momentarily overtook him, something that is not allowed under the safety car.
Forcing a Race Ban?
The incident led to an immediate complaint from the four-time world champion via the onboard radio. “George (Russell) suddenly braked aggressively,” complained Verstappen. His race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, responded: “Understood, we are checking for irregular driving behaviour.” Russell, in turn, also lodged a complaint: “Verstappen just overtook me under the safety car,” he exclaimed. The question now is whether the Briton acted deliberately to make his rival make a mistake. The Dutchman is just one penalty point away from a race ban.
The FIA has now confirmed that Red Bull has officially lodged a protest against the decision of the race direction not to refer the incident to the stewards. It is possible that the team has found evidence that could revise that decision. It is clear, however, that both Verstappen and Russell must report to the stewards. They will be allowed to present their case at 15:50 UTC (originally 17:50 CET).
