George Russell has officially retained his Canadian Grand Prix victory after a post-race protest by Red Bull against the Mercedes driver was rejected by race stewards.
The protest stemmed from a late-race incident following a dramatic collision on Lap 67 between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The crash forced Norris to retire, triggering a Safety Car deployment as marshals cleared the damaged McLaren.
During the caution period, Russell accused Max Verstappen over team radio of overtaking him under Safety Car conditions. Verstappen, meanwhile, claimed Russell had “erratically braked.” Red Bull subsequently protested Russell, alleging that he drove in an unsportsmanlike manner by braking unnecessarily and manipulating race control by suggesting Verstappen had illegally passed him.
According to the FIA’s report, Red Bull claimed Russell’s actions on the back straight between Turns 12 and 13 led to Verstappen momentarily passing the Mercedes before dropping back again. They also argued that Russell’s radio complaint demonstrated unsportsmanlike intent.
Russell defended his actions by explaining that his braking was necessary to maintain tyre and brake temperatures—standard practice during Safety Car periods—and to avoid bunching up too closely behind the Safety Car. Mercedes supported this, adding that Russell’s radio comments were factual and did not influence any officiating decision.
FIA Sporting Director Tim Malyon confirmed that Race Control had monitored the situation in real time and determined it didn’t merit a report. He emphasized that braking under Safety Car conditions is common and allowances are made for such behavior.
After reviewing all the evidence, stewards sided with Russell, stating they were satisfied his braking was neither excessive nor erratic. They also found no grounds to classify his radio message as unsportsmanlike.
With the protest denied, Russell’s win in Montreal stands, marking a significant victory for Mercedes in the 2025 F1 season.
