2025 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix winner, George Russell, has been summoned to the stewards after Red Bull protested his driving during a late Safety Car period.
Russell secured Mercedes’ first win of the season at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday, beating Max Verstappen to the chequered flag.
However, the Briton’s win has come under scrutiny after the Milton Keynes-based team lodged a formal protest with the FIA.
A late Safety Car was called into action at Montreal after Lando Norris made contact with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri on the pit straight, with Russell in the lead.
On the back straight, it appeared that Verstappen jumped the gun and overtook the Russell, who was quick to come suggest over team radio that Verstappen had deliberately done so and violated the Safety Car procedure.
“Verstappen just overtook me under the Safety Car,” he said. The Dutchman on the other hand, refuted this by claiming that Russell had braked erratically leading to the incident.
“George suddenly just aggressively braked,” he told the Red Bull pit wall, which quickly informed they would note the complaint.
Verstappen later clarified that Russell’s efforts to speed up the Safety Car eventually led to confusion on his end.
“I think George was trying to speed up to the Safety Car, I was trying to do the same, and once he tried to speed up the Safety Car he then backed out and caused a bit of confusion,” he told Sky Sports F1.
Red Bull’s protest is in two parts, the second being that, in Russell’s braking, he also fell foul of the ruling of being within 10 car lengths of the Safety Car.
Team boss Christian Horner confirmed the reasons for the protest to media including Motorsport Week, claiming Russell was driving “erratically,” adding that he “very heavily braked, obviously looking in his mirror for Max.”
Horner also claimed distance between the Mercedes to the Safety Car “was well in excess,” adding: “I think three times in excess of the permitted distance.”
Now, as per the FIA, both Russell and Verstappen have been summoned to the Stewards to answer the protest lodged by Red Bull against the Mercedes driver.
Should Russell be penalised for the incident, Verstappen could be handed the Grand Prix win – marking his third win of the season.
A decision is yet to be made by the FIA.
READ MORE – George Russell wins F1 Canadian GP as McLaren drivers clash
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