Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has branded Purple Bull’s protest on the Canadian Grand Prix “petty” and “embarrassing”, however his counterpart Christian Horner insists his crew have “no regrets”.
Purple Bull challenged George Russell’s win in Montreal on Sunday, alleging he had damaged laws for each driving erratically and committing unsportsmanlike conduct behind the protection automotive, which was later thrown out by the stewards.
Earlier this season, Purple Bull launched a protest towards Russell in Miami after the Brit had completed a spot forward of Verstappen in third on the Miami Grand Prix. The allegation that Russell had did not sufficiently sluggish beneath yellow flags was dismissed.
“First of all, it took team Red Bull Racing two hours before they launched the protest, so that was in their doing. You know, honestly, it’s so petty and so small,” Wolff instructed Sky Sports activities in New York on the launch of the brand new F1 film.
“They’ve finished it in Miami. Now they launched two protests. They took one again as a result of it was ridiculous.
“They provide you with some bizarre clauses, what they name clauses. I assume the FIA wants to have a look at that as a result of it is so farfetched it was rejected.
“You know, you race, you win and you lose on track. That was a fair victory for us, like so many they had in the past. And it’s just embarrassing.”
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Purple Bull launched a protest after the Canadian GP claiming George Russell allegedly drove erratically in entrance of Max Verstappen behind the Security Automobile
Russell claimed Mercedes’ first victory of the season in Montreal, forward of Purple Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
Requested if Purple Bull’s protests ought to have been dismissed faster, Wolff added:
“One of them they actually pulled as a protest, they didn’t even follow it through because it was nonsense.
“The second took us 5 hours as a result of I do not even know what you seek advice from as ‘unsportsmanlike behaviour’ or one thing. What’s all of it about? Who decides it? As a result of I am 100 per cent positive it isn’t Max, he is a racer.
“He would never go for a protest on such a trivial thing.”
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Highlights of the Canadian Grand Prix from the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montreal
The protest was the newest twist in a contentious sequence of occasions involving Verstappen and Russell.
The Purple Bull driver was penalised for inflicting a collision with Russell on the earlier spherical of the 2025 season in Spain, with the incident incomes Verstappen three penalty factors that left him getting ready to a race ban in Canada, and can proceed to do on the subsequent spherical in Austria earlier than some factors drop off licence.
After beating Verstappen to pole on Saturday in Montreal, Russell urged he had a bonus over his rival as a result of penalty factors scenario.
Verstappen mentioned he was “pi**ed off” at “childish” feedback on his scenario shortly after in a post-qualifying press convention.
The pair additionally engaged in a rare disagreement finally yr’s season finale after Verstappen was penalised for an incident involving Russell on the previous spherical in Qatar.
Horner: Purple Bull don’t have any regrets
Additionally chatting with Sky Sports activities in New York, Purple Bull’s Horner insisted they’ve “no regrets” about their actions.
“No, absolutely not [no regrets],” he mentioned. “I mean, it’s a team’s right to do so. You know, we saw something we didn’t think was quite right.
“You might have the flexibility to place it in entrance of the stewards and so that is what we selected to do. Completely no regrets in that.”
Asked about Verstappen’s chances of adding a fifth world title this season, Horner added there is a long way to go yet.
The Dutchman sits third in the driver’s standings, behind McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
“We’re not even midway. We had a very good weekend in Barcelona. We gained clearly in Imola a number of races in the past, and as Sunday proved, something can occur.
“You have just got to hang in there. It’s a long championship. We don’t give up on anything, keep fighting till the very end. If one person’s going to do that, it’s definitely going to be Max.”
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George Russell, Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli reacted to Norris’ crash after a battle together with his team-mate Piastri
Requested concerning the incidents in Montreal, Russell instructed Sky Sports activities:
“I think even Max didn’t know there was a protest even going on. So I don’t know what was going on, what they were thinking.
“I am glad nothing occurred a technique or one other. It was only a little bit of a waste of everyone’s time. And two guys who work for the crew, they each missed their flights final evening and every part.
“It was only a little bit of a faff for everyone. However that is over now, eyes ahead.
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Mercedes’ George Russell and Kimi Antonelli mirror on their first and third place finishes respectively
“I feel I’m performing really well. I feel good with the team. Who knows what’s going to happen, the margins are so close right now.”
Subsequent up for the 2025 System 1 season is a return to Europe for the Austrian Grand Prix, which is stay on Sky Sports activities F1 from June 27-29. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime.
