Canadian GP: George Russell assists in keeping race win after Red Bull protest in opposition to Mercedes motive force rejected

George Russell saved his win within the Canadian Grand Prix after the stewards rejected a Red Bull protest in opposition to the Mercedes motive force.

Russell beat Max Verstappen to victory in Sunday’s race to document Mercedes’ first win of the season.

But two hours after the chequered flag had dropped, it emerged Red Bull had challenged the end result via accommodation two protests in regards to the Brit’s riding in the back of the late-race Safety Car.

Red Bull alleged that Russell had damaged the laws via each riding inconsistently in entrance of Verstappen and dedicated unsportsmanlike behavior via, of their view, making an attempt to get his rival penalised.

However, after summoning drivers and representatives from each groups and reviewing information and video proof right through the direction in their investigation on Sunday night, the Montreal stewards in the long run threw Red Bull’s case out virtually six hours after Russell had taken the chequered flag.

In the file confirming their resolution, the stewards mentioned: “We settle for the motive force of Car 63’s rationalization of the incident and we’re glad that the motive force of Car 63 didn’t pressure inconsistently via braking the place he did or to the level he did.

“We aren’t glad that via merely reporting to his staff that Car 1 had overtaken that he engaged in unsportsmanlike behavior.

“Even though the protest did not allege it, we are also satisfied that by braking where and when he did and to the extent he did, the driver of Car 63 did not engage in unsportsmanlike conduct.”

The protest used to be the most recent twist in a contentious sequence of occasions involving Verstappen and Russell.

The Red Bull motive force used to be penalised for inflicting a collision with Russell on the earlier spherical of the 2025 season in Spain, with the incident incomes Verstappen 3 penalty issues that left him getting ready to a race ban in Canada, and can proceed to do on the subsequent spherical in Austria prior to some issues drop off licence.

After beating Verstappen to pole on Saturday in Montreal, Russell urged he had a bonus over his rival because of the penalty issues scenario.

Verstappen mentioned he used to be “pi**ed off” at “childish” touch upon his scenario in a while after in a post-qualifying press convention.

The pair additionally engaged in an abnormal confrontation eventually yr’s season finale following Verstappen being penalised for an incident involving Russell on the previous spherical in Qatar.

Red Bull introduced a protest in opposition to Russell previous this season in Miami after the Brit had completed a spot forward of Verstappen in 3rd on the Miami Grand Prix. The allegation that Russell had did not sufficiently sluggish beneath yellow flags used to be brushed aside.

Horner explains Red Bull protest

Speaking to the written media after information in their protests had turn out to be public, Red Bull staff foremost Christian Horner mentioned: “Two protests that we’ve put to the stewards, that we’ve asked them to have a look at.

“Firstly, in terms of the erratic riding in the back of the Safety Car, the place George very closely braked, clearly having a look in his replicate for Max.

“Then the second one is very clearly the distance that was left behind the Safety Car that was well in excess, I think at least three times in excess, of the permitted distance.

“It’s €2,000 in keeping with protest, and we have been shocked that they were not famous and despatched to the stewards, so due to this fact you could have the best as a competitor to do this, and that is the reason what we now have selected to do.”

There used to be no explicit point out within the stewards’ file of an allegation of Russell leaving too giant an opening to the Safety Car.

Verstappen had mentioned over Red Bull staff radio on lap 68 that “George suddenly just aggressively braked”, whilst Russell mentioned the Dutchman “just overtook me under the Safety Car”.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 afterwards, Verstappen had mentioned: “I think we were both trying to say to the Safety Car to speed up because he was only going 120kph, but I think maybe it was doing that to give a bit more time to maybe get a race lap in.

“So George used to be looking to pace as much as the Safety Car and I used to be looking to do the similar. Once, he attempted to hurry as much as the Safety Car he subsidized out and it led to a little bit of bewilderment.”

Next up for the 2025 Formula 1 season is a return to Europe for the Austrian Grand Prix, which is live on Sky Sports F1 from June 27-29. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime.