Red Bull hit with ‘kindergarten’ response after George Russell double protest

Red Bull’s decision to protest George Russell’s Canadian Grand Prix victory for ‘unsportsmanlike intent’ was the stuff of “kindergarten”, says Juan Pablo Montoya.

Following their Spanish Grand Prix clash that resulted in Verstappen moving onto 11 penalty points on his Super Licence, one away from a race ban, Russell and Verstappen were at it again in Montreal as they ran first and second behind the Safety Car late in the grand prix.

Red Bull’s protest against George Russell’s win was rejected

Russell, seemingly trying to get heat into his tyres, hits the brakes hard and Verstappen, caught unaware, went sailing past him.

Russell jumped on the team radio to state that Verstappen had overtaken him behind the Safety Car, with the reigning World Champion quickly onto Red Bull to defend his actions.

Although the stewards took no action against Verstappen for overtaking behind the Safety Car, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner called out Russell for what he claimed was the Mercedes driver’s “objective” and Red Bull launched a protest under Article 55.5 of the Sporting Regulations.

That relates to ‘unsporting behaviour by way of displaying ‘unsportsmanlike intent’.’ They also protested the Mercedes driver dropping more than 10 car lengths behind the Safety Car.

The FIA stewards rejected the protests as being without foundation.

Max Verstappen net worth revealed

👉 Max Verstappen net worth: How the World Champion has built his incredible fortune

👉 F1 driver net worth 2025: The 10 reported richest drivers on the F1 grid

Former F1 driver Montoya says it was childish and reminded him of the days when the teams were still permitted to speak with the FIA Race Director over the radio.

That played a role in the contentious F1 2021 championship where Horner and his Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff went at it with then-FIA race director Michael Masi, most famously at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

“I think if George really stood on the brakes and stopped the car on purpose, and Max passed because of it, then they should look at it,” Montoya told CasinoHawks.

“But it’s like a kindergarten thing.

“Why are you protesting something? That’s like the fights that you could hear before on the radio when the team owners’ radios were open with the FIA.

“You could hear Toto and you could hear Horner going at it, like yapping to the teacher.

“It’s so much better now without listening to all that.”

Having come through the Canadian Grand Prix with a clean slate, Verstappen has one more race to get through, Austria, before he loses two of his 11 penalty points, dropping him to nine and giving him a bit of breathing room.

Montoya reckons that the looming ban is having an impact on how Verstappen races as he cannot afford even the smallest transgression, as it could be what costs him a fifth World title.

“The prospect of a ban is affecting how Max drives,” Montoya said.

“The last thing Max needs right now is not to race. Max had the pace to maybe have a go at George. He was ahead of the McLaren.

“He was scoring points. And I’m pretty sure there was an intense conversation at Red Bull about how he needed to handle himself at the weekend. There’s no way they went business as usual.

“The conversation would have gone along the lines that publicly we’re racing as usual, but Max, we cannot afford any mistakes.

“We cannot afford to give up a Drivers’ Championship because of a sanction. Just bring it home.

“He had a good start, but he never attacked, he never pushed.

“Normally, you see Max on the first lap being all out and he wasn’t. He was very controlled emotionally in the way he managed the race.”

Verstappen pulled back points in the Drivers’ standings in Canada, outscoring championship leader Oscar Piastri for the first time in three races. His deficit to the McLaren driver is down to 43 points.

Read next: Max Verstappen reveals the track ‘far too dangerous’ for F1 return