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George Russell won the 2025 Canadian GP after starting the race from the pole position. However, Red Bull has now come out and protested against the #63 Mercedes driver. The governing body, FIA, has called both Russell and Max Verstappen to the Stewards' office, putting the Mercedes driver's win in danger.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri crashed in the final few laps at the Canadian GP, which brought out the safety car. As Verstappen and Russell closely followed the safety car, the British driver suddenly braked, which forced the latter to take avoiding action, and as a result, the Dutchman had to pass the #63 Mercedes on the long back straight.
The Red Bull star was furious about Russell’s action of braking hard and reported the same to his team, complaining about how he was forced to change direction, was caught off guard, and had to pass Russell momentarily to avoid a collision.
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The FIA has now come out and published the official documents revealing that Red Bull had lodged protests against Russell. However, the document did not specify what the complaints lodged by the Milton Keynes outfit were against the 2025 Canadian GP race winner.
The official FIA document read:
“The driver and team representative are required to report to the Stewards at 17:50, in relation to the incident below:
No / Driver 63 - George Russell; Reason: Protests lodged by Oracle Red Bull Racing against the driver of Car 63.”
While the document doesn't specify the reason, the only major complaint made about Russell by Max Verstappen was the sudden braking under the safety car. Russell, if found guilty of sudden braking, could be classified and charged with penalties for erratic driving. Verstappen has also been summoned by the FIA to the Stewards alongside Russell.
The ever-growing tension between George Russell and Max Verstappen
George Russell and Max Verstappen's fierce rivalry first took off after the two collided during the race at the 2023 Azerbaijan GP. After the race, the duo were seen discussing the crash as the Dutchman called the Mercedes driver a “d***head”.
The rivalry again flared at last year's Qatar GP when Verstappen and Russell were called to the Stewards' room as the Dutchman impeded the Mercedes driver while on a cooldown lap, which led to a penalty for Max.
The most recent incident was at the 2025 Spanish GP when, after the safety car restart, the two drivers came together, and Verstappen was penalized with a 10-second time penalty and penalty points.
