The Grand Prix of Canada of 2025 will go down in history as one of the most controversial races of the Formula 1 season. The Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal was the scene of a sizzling battle, in which George Russell from Mercedes achieved an impressive victory. But his triumph was soon overshadowed by two protests from Red Bull Racing, directed against alleged violations of Russell behind the Safety Car. The FIA ​​eventually rejected both protests, a decision that Max Verstappen, the star driver of Red Bull, left in surprise with a response of only six words: “I thought the rules were clear.”

The race started with a promising start. Russell, who departed from pole position, held his position firmly, while Verstappen was on the heels. The tension then rose a crash between McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the final phase a Safety Car on the track. Behind the Safety Car happened the incident that Red Bull would later challenge. Russell unexpectedly inhibited powerful piece, what Verstappen forced to come next to him for a short time and even ride for him. Verstappen immediately expressed his frustration about the on -board radio: “George suddenly braked very aggressively.” His racing engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, promised to have the incident examined, and Red Bull attacked afterwards.

The team submitted two protests to the FIA. The first protest focused on what they called “Erratic driving behavior” of Russell behind the Safety Car. According to Red Bull, he had braked unnecessarily hard, which was potentially dangerous and possibly intended to mislead Verstappen or to lure it into an error. The second protest was the distance that Russell kept until the Safety Car. The Formula 1 regulations state that drivers should stay within ten car lengths of the Safety Car, and Red Bull claimed that Russell had violated this rule. Team boss Christian Horner defended the protests and emphasized that it was not personal. “The rules are there to be complied with,” he said. “Games are often played behind the Safety Car, but this went too far.”

The FIA ​​stewards organized an extensive hearing after the race. Representatives of Mercedes and Red Bull, together with both drivers, were heard. Russell explained that his brake maneuver was a reaction to a sudden movement of the Safety Car and that he had no harm in the sense. The stewards analyzed onboard images, telemetry and statements from all involved. After a long deliberation, they came to a conclusion: both protests were rejected. In their official explanation, they stated that Russell’s brake behavior was not considered Erratic and that there was no question of unsporting behavior. “The driver of Auto 63 has not acted excessively by inhibiting where he did it or in the extent to which he did that,” said the stewards. With regard to the distance to the Safety Car, no violation was determined, and the racing result remained unchanged.

This was a relief for Mercedes and Russell. Russell retained his victory and praised his team for their support. But with Red Bull there was incomprehension. Verstappen, who had been discussing several times with the FIA ​​about control interpretations during the entire season, was clearly not satisfied. His six words – “I thought the rules were clear” – spoke volumes. It was a direct expression of his frustration and disbelief, especially since he found that similar incidents had been assessed differently in the past.

The events in Canada underline how complex and sometimes subjectively the Formula 1 regulations can be. What is a smart tactic for one may seem like a violation for the other. This controversy feeds the rivalry between Mercedes and Red Bull further, and between Russell and Verstappen in particular. With a few more races to go in the championship, the tension will only increase. The Grand Prix of Canada 2025 has not only yielded a winner, but also a discussion that will eager for a long time in the paddock.