Red Bull Raises Concerns Over Verstappen’s Safety Ahead of Canadian Grand Prix
Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing formally alerted FIA race director Rui Marques to potential gamesmanship directed at driver Max Verstappen. The concern emerged as Verstappen approached the race with just one penalty point from an incident with George Russell in Spain, placing him on the brink of an automatic suspension.
In qualifying, Verstappen and Russell secured the front row, with Russell referencing his greater margin for penalty points during the pre-race buildup. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner emphasized the importance of vigilance regarding potential tactics that could affect Verstappen’s performance.
“We just said to Marques, ‘Could they please keep an eye on it, because there’s been obviously comments that have been raised in the media,’” Horner stated. He noted, however, that Verstappen drove a clean race over the weekend.
Post-race, Red Bull felt compelled to protest Russell’s conduct, citing unsportsmanlike behavior related to braking behind the safety car and reporting an overtaking maneuver by Verstappen over the radio. Despite the possibility of Verstappen inheriting the victory via a penalty against Russell, Horner clarified that the Dutch driver was unaware of the protest.
“No, not at all. Max was talking to you guys and had no idea that the protest had been lodged,” Horner remarked. He reaffirmed that lodging a protest is a competitor’s right, costing €2,000 per protest, and expressed surprise that some incidents were not documented and sent to the stewards.
This ongoing scrutiny highlights the competitive tension within the sport, particularly as drivers navigate the intricacies of penalty points and on-track tactics in pursuit of championship points.
