George Russell’s victory in the Canadian Grand Prix is confirmed following Red Bull’s protests.

George Russell Wins Canadian Grand Prix

George Russell achieved pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix on Saturday and secured his first win of the 2025 Formula 1 season, crossing the finish line under the safety car.

This victory stands firm, even with protests lodged by Red Bull.

During the race, a collision between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri led to Norris losing his front wing on the MCL39, which brought out the safety car. This incident followed another clash, and it seems both Russell and Verstappen have contrasting views on what transpired.

Russell believes that Verstappen passed him while the safety car was active. On the other hand, Verstappen claims that Russell braked abruptly.

F1’s split-screen format allows viewers to analyze the incident closely.

Furthermore, radio communications between Verstappen and his race engineer, Gianpiero “GP” Lambiase, reveal Verstappen’s growing frustration during those laps, as he noted that Russell dropped more than ten positions behind the safety car.

Red Bull quickly filed a protest against Russell following the race, with a hearing scheduled for 5:50 PM local time.

However, race officials dismissed the protest, affirming Russell’s win. Christian Horner, the principal of Red Bull, summarized the race on social media, highlighting Verstappen’s second-place finish.

The stewards later stated that the protest was not substantiated.

In a detailed decision, the race steward indicated that Red Bull had made multiple claims against Russell, including accusations of him braking unnecessarily, as well as remarks regarding Mercedes involving “stolen power.” They raised concerns about Verstappen possibly being forced into an infringement. The steward believed it was clear the race would conclude under the safety car, rendering Russell’s tire and brake maintenance unnecessary.

Ultimately, the protest was rejected after hearing from both Russell and FIA’s Tim Marion. The steward accepted Russell’s explanation, noting that he did not drive inappropriately when he braked. Moreover, they didn’t find evidence of Russell acting unsportsmanlike when he reported to Mercedes about being overtaken by Verstappen.