Mercedes Toto Wolff Calls Red Bull Embarrassing Over Canadian GP Protest

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff strongly criticized Red Bull's post-race protests against George Russell's victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, calling them "petty," "embarrassing," and "ridiculous." Red Bull filed two protests alleging potential safety car infringements and unsportsmanlike behavior, including a claim that Russell deliberately slowed to let Max Verstappen pass under the safety car, potentially to earn Verstappen a penalty point. The FIA ultimately rejected all protests after several hours of review, confirming Russell's fourth career win and Mercedes' first victory of the season. Wolff questioned the legitimacy and timing of Red Bull's protests, emphasizing that race results should be decided on track rather than through post-race technicalities and criticizing the team for reviving similar tactics used earlier in the season. He also expressed confidence that Verstappen himself would not have supported such protests, suggesting they were driven by the team rather than the driver. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between Mercedes and Red Bull as the F1 season progresses, with Russell narrowing the points gap to championship leader Oscar Piastri.