F1 champion Max Verstappen BLINDSIDED by major Red Bull decision

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen BLINDSIDED by major Red Bull decision

Reigning champion Max Verstappen was left out of a major Red Bull decision

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 19 June 2025 12:57 Updated: 10:53

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Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen was reportedly blindsided by a major Red Bull decision after recent drama with one of his sporting rivals.

The 10th round of the 2025 campaign ended in a late protest from Verstappen's F1 team, who claimed George Russell had broken regulations under the safety car in the final stages of the race before earning his first victory of the year.

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The number 63 driver crossed the line first, shortly followed by the reigning champion after Sunday's main event came to a rather anticlimactic conclusion, with the grand prix finishing under a safety car.

Red Bull took issue with Russell's driving under safety car conditions, claiming to the FIA that the Brit had driven erratically, but the 27-year-old was cleared of any wrongdoing and his victory finally confirmed by F1's governing body hours later.

The decision to protest the race result despite Christian Horner's outfit possessing no new evidence to present was labelled 'embarrassing' by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and now, Russell has revealed that not even Verstappen knew of his team's choice to lodge the protest, with the champion talking to media when he eventually found out.

Speaking at the F1 movie premiere in New York following the race, Russell said: "Max didn't know there was a protest even going on so I don't know what was going on, what they were thinking, glad nothing happened one way or another it was just a bit of a waste of everybody's time."

Red Bull Canadian GP protest lodged without Verstappen's knowledge

Christian Horner's F1 team launched an unsuccessful complaint at the Canadian GP

Russell and Verstappen are no strangers to FIA investigations, but Red Bull's decision to protest the move of the Mercedes at the Canadian GP last weekend appeared to be a last attempt at grasping for a win.

The act of doing so also delayed the final race result significantly, with Russell also revealing that it disrupted the travel plans of two key Mercedes members.

"Shov [Andrew Shovlin] and Ron [Meadows] who work for the team both missed their flights last night, so it was just a bit of a faff for everybody," the Silver Arrows star added.

Whilst McLaren look set to lead the way in the constructors' standings all season long and potentially the drivers' championship too if they can pick who to back, the fiercest battle in the standings right now is between Russell and Verstappen.

With just 19 points between the reigning champion in P3 and Russell in P4, Red Bull's protest in Montreal certainly won't be their last of the season.

"That's over now, eyes forward," Russell concluded over the 'faff' from the Canadian GP, firmly looking ahead to Red Bull's home race in Austria next weekend.