Red Bull cautioned the FIA about Russell's antics.
Red Bull has acknowledged that the team suspected George Russell might attempt to outsmart Max Verstappen during the Canadian GP. After Verstappen’s controversial incident with Russell in Barcelona two weeks prior, the two started on the front row in Canada, with the four-time world champion on the verge of a race ban. Russell suggested he would be more assertive than usual heading into turn 1. "I mean, I’ve got a few more points on my license to play with," stated the Mercedes driver.
Turn 1 was calm for both drivers, but the situation changed during a later safety car period. At one point, Verstappen’s Red Bull overtook Russell behind the safety car, with each accusing the other of wrongdoing. Following the race, they walked to the stewards’ room together as the FIA reviewed Red Bull’s post-race protest regarding Russell’s behavior during the safety car period. Russian commentator Alexey Popov believes the protest was warranted. "It’s a fact—because he mentioned it after qualifying—that Russell was really keen to set Max up a bit. We saw it when he braked so hard behind the safety car," he remarked.
The stewards questioned Russell and Verstappen for nearly an hour, resulting in the official race result not being confirmed until five hours after the checkered flag. "This kind of delay must change for the future," stated Bild newspaper. In the meantime, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirmed that the protest was submitted to clarify Russell’s actions during the safety car period. "You could already hear it on Saturday when George spoke to the press," he noted. "His goal was quite clear. I think it was inevitable that some games would be played."
Horner revealed that he even addressed the possibility of anti-Verstappen tactics with the race director "after the drivers’ briefing" well before the race began. "We wanted them to be aware of it because it’s pretty clear that these kinds of things happen," he explained. "We said, ‘Please pay attention to this, because there have been some comments made in the media.’" When asked if Verstappen prompted Red Bull to file a protest, Horner replied: "Not at all." Ultimately, the Red Bull protest was dismissed.
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