Russell wins in Canada – Red Bull's protest dismissed!

Russell wins in Canada – Red Bull's protest dismissed!

George Russell won the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix on June 16, 2025. However, his victory was overshadowed by a protest from the Red Bull team. After the race, Red Bull expressed concerns that Russell may have broken the rules by not keeping enough distance from the safety car and driving "erratically". A total of twelve possible violations were investigated before Red Bull's protest was rejected five hours after the end of the race, leaving the race results unchanged and Russell's victory confirmed. After questioning Russell and Max Verstappen in detail, the stewards spoke to the two drivers for around 45 minutes and concluded that Russell had acted correctly when he braked periodically during the safety car operation to maintain an appropriate distance and regulate the temperature in the tires.

Christian Horner, the Red Bull team boss, was critical of Russell's driving style and speculated about possible "games". Verstappen, on the other hand, did not blame his competitor, but rather the safety car and emphasized that everything went smoothly. This situation has increased tensions between the two teams, while there are turbulent times within the McLaren team. There are internal conflicts between drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who took responsibility for his own crash and was given a five-second penalty for it. In addition, Haas driver Oliver Bearman received a warning for ignoring the “escape route” in turn 13, which further complicated the situation.

Rules and stewards decisions

The FIA ​​has made it clear that periodic braking under the safety car is common and expected. FIA Sporting Director Tim Malyon explained that the incident was witnessed during the race and was deemed by race management not to be newsworthy to the stewards. The stewards accepted Russell's explanation that his braking was not unsportsmanlike. These considerations led to a quick decision that failed to support Red Bull's subsequent protests. However, the possibility that such protests could affect the dynamics and competition between teams remains a hotly debated topic in Formula 1.

In a broader context, the history of motorsport always highlights the challenges that arise from strict rules and close competition. Overall, Formula 1 has shown time and again that both technical and driving skills play a central role in the stewards' decisions. In recent years there have been numerous brilliant achievements and records that have gone down in the history books, and therefore attention remains focused on the new developments in this fascinating racing series. The statistics show how unique and challenging this sport is, with countless records set over time and teams' minds laser-focused on the next Grand Prix.