George Russell has proffered a theory as to why Red Bull submitted a protest against him in the wake of the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix.
Russell won in Montreal ahead of Max Verstappen, though the result was cast in doubt for more than five hours after the chequered flag following an incident between the pair under a late-race Safety Car.
George Russell doesn’t blame Max Verstappen for Canadian GP protest
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Red Bull protested Russell, claiming the Mercedes driver had driven erratically in an attempt to draw Verstappen into a penalty.
As the Safety Car headed the pack down the back straight in Canada, race leader Russell braked, at which point his Dutch rival overtook him before he was able to react – a breach of Safety Car regulations which mandate no overtaking (saved lapped cars, once cleared to do so).
Both drivers reported the incident to their respective teams, with Red Bull escalating the matter after the race.
Rejected by the stewards, Russell suggested the intent of the protest was never to challenge his victory but instead to safeguard Verstappen.
“Firstly, it was nothing,” the Brit told media, including PlanetF1.com, in Austria.
“But yes, seemingly it all came from Red Bull, as opposed to Max. I don’t think Max was even aware of the protest, and it was pretty clear there was not going to be any penalty.
“My personal view is that they wanted to go on the offensive to protect themselves, in case Max got a penalty for going ahead of me during that Safety Car incident.
“That was my personal view, but it was just a bit of a faff and was not really necessary.”
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Verstappen competed throughout the Canadian Grand Prix just one penalty point shy of a one-race ban.
The four-time world champion has amassed 11 points on his Super Licence over the past 12 months, a position which remains unchanged heading into Austria this weekend.
Had he picked up a penalty point for the Safety Car transgression in Canada, it would have triggered an immediate one-race ban.
Russell had made light of that point earlier in the weekend, suggesting he could afford to be more aggressive into the opening corner as he and Verstappen shared the front row.
Canada wasn’t the first time the pair have clashed, with things having come to a head at last year’s Qatar Grand Prix.
There, the Red Bull driver copped a one-place grid penalty for driving ‘unnecessarily slowly’ during his cool down lap, prompting Russell to take evasive action.
In Lusail, a public war of words following the stewards’ hearing on the matter.
“That’s is not even something I think about,” Russell said in Austria when quizzed about the apparent rivalry the two have developed.
“I think when you’re racing against the best and you’re racing against the most aggressive, you need to stand tall and make sure you have your elbows out and give as much as the opponent will give. That is sort of my approach when racing somebody of his calibre.
“But ultimately, I’m going about my own business. I am fighting for myself, my team, and if Max and I have come together a few times over the last six months, that’s just the way it’s panned out.”
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