Red Bull protest causes issues for Mercedes staff

Red Bull Racing filed two protests against George Russell after the tenth Grand Prix of the season, with the Austrian team believing that Russell had behaved unsportingly and driven dangerously behind the safety car. One of the protests was later withdrawn by Red Bull, but both protests were ultimately dismissed by the stewards.

"Max [Verstappen] didn't even know there was a protest," a bemused Russell said ahead of the premiere of the F1 movie with Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton. ''I don't know what was going on and what they were thinking.

Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff already expressed his disdain for the action of Christian Horner and Red Bull. According to the Austrian, Max Verstappen could never have been behind the action, as he is a 'true racer'. This was also confirmed, when GPblog inquired with Verstappen's camp.

Russell.s first race win of the season meant he was able to extend the gap between himself in P4 and Charles Leclerc in P5, now 32 points clear as he sits on 136 points.

62 points is the margin between the Brit and championship leadr Oscar Piastri, however, with the Australian still leading the title race despite his incdient with teammate Lando Norris.

Norris's DNF in Montreal means Verstappen's second-place finish closes the gap between the two title protagonists from last season, with the Dutchman now 21 points away from the 25-year-old in the papaya-coloured car.