After calling Red Bull’s protest against George Russell’s win in Canada “embarrassing,” Toto Wolff surprisingly absolves Max Verstappen.
The Canadian GP ended with a flurry of investigations, including Red Bull’s protest against George Russell’s victory. As we explained in this article, the Milton Keynes team challenged the Mercedes driver’s irregular driving under the Safety Car, which later forced Max Verstappen to momentarily overtake him.
The protest was rejected by the FIA. Christian Horner didn’t hold back, hinting at the possibility that George Russell acted in such a way to provoke the Dutchman.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 at the world premiere of the F1 film, Toto Wolff gave his view on the whole affair. The Mercedes boss described the episode as “petty,” also recalling the incidents in Miami.
“I believe the FIA needs to assess this, because it’s truly implausible. It was dismissed. You race, you win, and you lose on track,” he stated. “For us, it was a legitimate win, just like many others in the past, and it’s simply embarrassing.”
Wolff also criticized the long wait before the FIA issued its ruling. “It took five hours [to resolve] the matter. I don’t even know what it was about. Unsportsmanlike conduct?” He also raised questions about who exactly filed the protest. “What is this about? Why do you know? Who decides?”
Despite the history between George Russell and Max Verstappen, the Mercedes boss cleared the latter of any involvement. “I’m 100% sure it wasn’t Max. He’s a driver. He would never complain about something so trivial.”
Red Bull protest, Christian Horner’s version
The same question was put to Christian Horner, who was also present at the film premiere in New York. The Red Bull team principal reiterated his stance: “It’s the right of every team to do so.”
“We saw something we didn’t feel was entirely right and we had the opportunity to report it to the stewards, so that’s what we chose to do. I have absolutely no regrets.”
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