George Russell has held on to his 2025 Miami Grand Prix podium after stewards rejected a protest lodged by Red Bull, who alleged the Mercedes driver failed to slow appropriately under yellow flag conditions during the race.
The incident in question occurred mid-race when Gabriel Bortoleto pulled over with a suspected power unit issue, triggering a yellow flag and a subsequent Virtual Safety Car.
Max Verstappen, who was chasing Russell at the time, immediately raised the issue over team radio, saying: “Check if George lifted, it was a yellow.”
Red Bull’s post-race strategy seemed to hinge on that potential infringement, as they instructed Verstappen to stay within five seconds of the Mercedes — a margin that could have been crucial had a penalty been applied.
However, after reviewing the evidence, including onboard footage and telemetry data, the FIA stewards found no wrongdoing.
The official verdict stated that Russell had visibly lifted off the throttle in the flagged section and was “considerably slower than regular racing speed,” even though his car’s velocity briefly increased — something attributed to a downhill section of the track.
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Stewards uphold Russell’s conduct after post-race review
Following the conclusion of the race, both Red Bull and Russell were summoned to appear before the stewards at 7:15pm local time in Miami.
The investigation focused on whether Russell had complied with Article 26.1 of the FIA Sporting Regulations, which mandates that drivers must significantly reduce speed and visibly react to yellow flag zones.
The stewards concluded that the Briton had indeed reacted in line with the rules, lifting appropriately and slowing down relative to race pace.
As a result, the protest was dismissed and Russell’s third-place finish was upheld. This ensured the Mercedes driver claimed his second podium of the 2025 season — his best result since the opener in Bahrain.
Red Bull, who have struggled to match McLaren’s dominant pace in recent races, appeared to be seeking any possible advantage on a weekend where Verstappen fell from pole to fourth — nearly 40 seconds adrift of race winner Oscar Piastri.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, addressed the matter when asked about Verstappen’s radio message: “I think there was a situation in terms of yellow flags. I think this is what Max said on the radio to check. I don’t know… not that we are aware of it.”
Russell, who did not appear for post-race media duties due to what the team called “medical reasons,” has now climbed to fourth in the drivers’ standings with 93 points, just six behind Verstappen.
The outcome marks another win for Mercedes’ consistency in what has become a tightly contested midfield battle behind the resurgent McLarens, with Piastri and Norris now pulling away in the championship race.
