Red Bull’s protest at the Miami Grand Prix, explained

MIAMI, Florida — In the closing laps of the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Red Bull instructed Max Verstappen, who was running fourth behind George Russell, to stay within five seconds of the Mercedes driver in case a potential penalty was handed down after the race.

Now, Red Bull is pressing the issue.

The team filed a protest against Russell, alleging that the Mercedes driver failed to slow under a yellow flag during the Miami Grand Prix. Under Appendix H, Article 2.5.5 b) of the International Sporting Code, drivers are required to reduce their speed under a single yellow flag and reduce their speed significantly under a double yellow flag.

At the time Verstappen radioed into Red Bull to check on the Mercedes driver’s speed, requesting the team “check if Russell lifted, it was a yellow.”

Speaking in his post-race media session Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner opened with the team’s protest.

“So, as you’ve probably seen, we’ve registered a protest with the FIA regarding George Russell. Who from the GPS that we can see quite clearly, the lift did not reduce speed,” said Horner to the media, including SB Nation. “So, the regulation is quite explicitly clear that there has to be a reduction in speed, so the car has kept accelerating. It’s just at a slower rate than it would normally. There’s not an actual reduction in speed.”

Horner returned to Red Bull’s protest later in his session, during a discussion of a potential protest against McLaren.

It should be noted here that McLaren’s ability to keep their tire temperatures under control was a big talking point in the paddock after the race, not just in the Red Bull hospitality space but also during Toto Wolff’s availability, as well as Frederic Vasseur’s. But that is a story for another time.

But when he was asked about potentially lodging a protest against McLaren, Horner immediately credited the work they have done this year and spun the question back to the protest against Russell.

“We’re not purporting or suggesting that there’s anything illegal on the [McLaren]. We felt that George Russell has done something that is in breach of the regulations in the way that they’re written, so that’s why we put a protest in today,” said Horner. “Because more than anything you want clarity. The regulations say there should be a reduction in speed.

“It doesn’t talk about a lift.

“It doesn’t talk about, you know, time off the top.

“It talks about a reduction in speed.

“We very clearly did that and that was why Max flagged it immediately, from what he saw from within the cockpit.”

Both Russell and a team representative from Red Bull were summoned to meet with race officials at 7:15 p.m. local time.

With Verstappen finishing just over two seconds behind Russell, a five-second penalty would indeed promote Verstappen to P3.