George Russell`s third-place finish in the Miami Grand Prix has been confirmed after race stewards rejected a protest filed by the Red Bull team against the Mercedes driver.
Russell secured the final podium spot on Sunday, finishing one position ahead of Max Verstappen. However, Red Bull subsequently protested to the stewards, claiming the British driver had not slowed sufficiently under a single-waved yellow flag during the race.
Following the race, stewards convened a hearing with representatives from both teams. After considering the arguments, they ultimately dismissed Red Bull`s case.
Verstappen finished 2.3 seconds behind Russell. Had the protest been successful and resulted in a time penalty for Russell, Verstappen could have potentially been elevated to third place instead of fourth.
During the hearing, Red Bull argued that although Russell lifted his throttle when the yellow flag was shown, he did not actually reduce his speed, thereby not complying with the regulations.
Mercedes representatives countered that the accepted practice among teams and the FIA dictates that a significant lift of the throttle in a yellow flag zone is considered appropriate action and constitutes compliance with the rules. They stated that Russell did indeed lift the throttle significantly after spotting Gabriel Bortoleto`s stranded Sauber car on the trackside.
The stewards sided with Mercedes, rejecting Red Bull`s protest and requiring them to forfeit their protest deposit.
In their official conclusions, the stewards noted that telemetry and onboard footage from Russell`s car (Car 63) clearly showed a throttle lift when entering the yellow flag zone. This lift amounted to approximately 25%, resulting in about a 30% reduction in torque.
The stewards clarified that the regulation requiring drivers to have `discernibly reduced speed` refers to a reduction relative to the driver`s typical racing speed for that section of the track, not necessarily a reduction in absolute speed. While Russell`s absolute speed slightly increased through the zone, his speed relative to his normal racing pace in that area was considerably slower, demonstrating he had acknowledged and respected the yellow flag.
The stewards reasoned that focusing on relative speed is crucial, as a reduction in absolute speed can be misleading depending on the track section (for instance, a driver braking for a corner will naturally reduce absolute speed regardless of a yellow flag). A reduction in relative speed, however, always signals that the driver has reacted to the flag.
This decision means Russell keeps his fourth podium finish of the season, placing him just six points behind Verstappen in the Drivers` Championship standings after Miami.
Mercedes remains second in the Constructors` Championship, 36 points clear of Red Bull but now 105 points behind dominant leaders McLaren following their one-two finish in Miami.
The Formula 1 season is set to move to Europe, with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix scheduled for May 16-18.