The internet left shocked reacting to Russell and Verstappen's safety car skirmish in Canada

Updated: 10:33, 16 Jun 2025

I am a passionate and knowledgeable Formula 1 fan who has watched the sport since age five, watching every single race. Having karted competitively throughout my teens, I understand what it takes to be a racing driver, and every aspect of motorsports fascinates me. I am now studying sports journalism at the University of Gloucestershire with the hopes of one day landing a dream role in motorsport. As well as English, I speak Spanish fluently after living there for some time when I was younger.

Long after the conclusion of the Canadian Grand Prix, George Russell’s victory remained uncertain due to official protests lodged by Red Bull Racing. The protests stemmed from Russell’s actions behind the safety car, which the team believed may have violated regulations. However, after a thorough review, the stewards decided not to impose any penalty on the British driver.

Even before Red Bull protested, speculation was rife on the internet. Many people felt Russell deserved a penalty and argued that if it were Verstappen, an investigation would have been initiated long ago. Others, however, believed that the ruling was fair after a chaotic ending to the Canadian Grand Prix where McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris collided in the closing stages.

The opinions of the internet divided

Then, after a long meeting and an even longer deliberation on what should happen with the result, the final word came in the early hours of the morning in Europe. Red Bull Racing's protest was rejected and Russell retained his victory at the expense of Verstappen. This led to some dissatisfaction among fans, whilst others thought it was the right decision. Former F1 team manager Peter Windsor was one of those who believed that the ruling was fair.

MV33Racing🏎

@MV33Racing

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🚨 Final news from the stewards room: - No penalty for George Russell - No penalty points for Lando Norris There’s a reason why this "wrong passport" list exists. Good night, good day 💙

1:26 AM · Jun 16, 2025

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Replying to @GeorgeRussell63

This is objectively false. George Russell DID brake erratically, deliberately to force a penalty against Max Verstappen George Russell and his unsportsmanlike conduct deserve to be penalised. This is absolutely pathetic from the stewards.

1:26 AM · Jun 16, 2025

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Tom Bellingham

@TomP1Bellingham

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No penalty for Russell Everyone in Europe:

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1:13 AM · Jun 16, 2025

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Aldas🇱🇹

@Aldas001

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Let’s be 100% clear, Russell clearly looks in his right hand mirror for Max and brakes hard to try to get him to overtake him and get him that penalty point 😅

d。

@mandarthalorian

HOW IS THIS ALLOWED pic.x.com/9M1F4mlWaG

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9:39 PM · Jun 15, 2025

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F1-stand 2026

Pos.	Driver	Team	Points
1	Kimi Antonelli Kimi Antonelli	MercedesMER	219
2	Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton	FerrariFER	169
3	George Russell George Russell	MercedesMER	160
4	Charles Leclerc Charles Leclerc	FerrariFER	138
5	Lando Norris Lando Norris	McLarenMCL	128
6	Max Verstappen Max Verstappen	Red Bull RacingRBR	109
7	Oscar Piastri Oscar Piastri	McLarenMCL	92
8	Isack Hadjar Isack Hadjar	Red Bull RacingRBR	68
9	Liam Lawson Liam Lawson	Racing BullsRCB	43
10	Pierre Gasly Pierre Gasly	AlpineALP	42
11	Arvid Lindblad Arvid Lindblad	Racing BullsRCB	23
12	Franco Colapinto Franco Colapinto	AlpineALP	19
13	Oliver Bearman Oliver Bearman	HaasHAA	18
14	Gabriel Bortoleto Gabriel Bortoleto	AudiAUD	10
15	Carlos Sainz Carlos Sainz	WilliamsWIL	6
16	Alexander Albon Alexander Albon	WilliamsWIL	5
17	Esteban Ocon Esteban Ocon	HaasHAA	3
18	Nico Hulkenberg Nico Hulkenberg	AudiAUD	2
19	Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso	Aston MartinAST	1
20	Lance Stroll Lance Stroll	Aston MartinAST	0
21	Valtteri Bottas Valtteri Bottas	CadillacCAD	0
22	Sergio Perez Sergio Perez	CadillacCAD	0

Show Full Standings

The internet left shocked reacting to Russell and Verstappen's safety car skirmish in Canada

The opinions of the internet divided

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