Formula One F1 - Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada - June 15, 2025 Mercedes' George Russell and Red Bull's Max Verstappen in action with drivers during the race REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier
MONTREAL (Reuters) -Formula One stewards rejected a Red Bull protest of George Russell's Canadian Grand Prix victory for Mercedes on Sunday.
The stewards said in a lengthy statement issued five and a half hours after the end of the race that the protest was not founded.
Red Bull, who forfeited their deposit, had Max Verstappen finish second.
They had argued Russell breached the rules by driving erratically when the safety car was deployed in the final laps of the race and also showed unsportsmanlike conduct.
Stewards dismissed the allegations.
While Russell and Verstappen are not friends and have clashed on the track, notably in Spain two weeks ago when Red Bull's four-times world champion was heavily punished, Horner said it was not personal.
Red Bull have however protested twice in the space of five races now, both times against Russell.
In Miami in May they protested the Briton's third place, arguing the driver had failed to slow when yellow flags were waved during a virtual safety car period. Verstappen was fourth that time.
Stewards also rejected that protest.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis, Peter Rutherford)
