P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell is open to a huge F1 change regarding protests after Red Bull’s against his Canadian Grand Prix victory.
George Russell believes that F1 teams should be required to offer a larger deposit when filing a protest, following the controversy surrounding his win at the Canadian GP.
Red Bull had protested Russell’s win, alleging that he had intentionally braked behind the safety car to allow Max Verstappen to pass him and potentially receive a penalty, as well as questioning Russell’s distance behind the safety car.
After a thorough investigation, the stewards dismissed Red Bull’s protests, confirming Russell’s victory and imposing a €2,000 forfeiture of the deposit.
Russell suggested that a higher initial deposit could discourage teams from launching unfounded protests, considering the minimal impact of a €2,000 penalty on teams with significant profits.
He emphasized the idea of increasing the deposit amount to potentially make teams think twice before challenging race results, especially given the possibility of recouping the deposit if the protest is successful.
Russell expressed that the current system allows for relatively inconsequential penalties, highlighting the need for more substantial financial consequences to deter unnecessary protests in Formula 1.
