Red Bull Alerts FIA About Possible Foul Play Against Verstappen

Red Bull Alerts FIA to Possible Tactics Against Verstappen

The Red Bull team contacted the International Automobile Federation (FIA) before the Canadian Grand Prix, expressing their concern about possible maneuvers aimed at Max Verstappen. According to team principal Christian Horner, the goal would be to provoke a one-race suspension for the Dutch driver. Verstappen arrived in Montreal with 11 penalty points on his superlicense, following an incident with George Russell of Mercedes in Spain. Accumulating 12 points results in an automatic suspension. The driver will not lose points until after the Austrian race, on June 29, which is Red Bull’s home race. Horner revealed that Red Bull spoke with race director Rui Marques after a drivers’ meeting on Friday to express their concern and request that he be attentive to possible strategies.

“I think it was inevitable that there would be some potential play,” Horner commented to reporters.

Christian Horner

Horner added that the team simply asked the race director to monitor the situation, given that these types of situations are common. Russell, after obtaining the pole position, indicated that he had more penalty points available than Verstappen, which could be an advantage for him.

After Russell won the race on Sunday, with Verstappen in second place, Red Bull filed a protest. A subsequent document from the stewards rejected the protest, revealing that Red Bull had alleged unsportsmanlike conduct by Russell during the safety car deployment. Red Bull argued that Russell braked unnecessarily and erratically behind the safety car on the back straight and complained via team radio that Verstappen had overtaken him when it was not allowed. Red Bull stated that the radio message “showed unsportsmanlike intent” and that Russell’s braking had taken Verstappen by surprise, leaving him with no other option but to momentarily overtake. They also suggested that the onboard cameras showed Russell looking in his mirrors before braking “to force (Verstappen) to overtake and force an infraction”. Russell denied it, saying he wasn’t trying to force an investigation, and Mercedes pointed out that they hadn’t filed any complaints. The stewards accepted that there was no unsportsmanlike conduct. Russell and Verstappen maintain a latent rivalry and Red Bull has protested twice in five races against the Mercedes driver.