Red Bull has contacted the FIA to protect Max Verstappen from the threat of suspension from F1

Christian Horner revealed that Red Bull had contacted the FIA before the Canadian Grand Prix due to concerns that Max Verstappen might be deliberately targeted by his opponents in F1.

Max Verstappen one point away from suspension

Max Verstappen is currently in a precarious situation, just one penalty point away from an automatic suspension, following his collision with George Russell (Mercedes) during the Spanish Grand Prix.

The four-time world champion navigated the Montreal weekend without trouble, but he will still need to avoid any missteps at the Austrian Grand Prix before his first penalty points expire at the end of June.

Red Bull contacted the FIA to protect its driver

Red Bull reportedly contacted the FIA race director, Rui Marques, to raise awareness about the risk of political games or intimidations on track, given Max Verstappen’s delicate disciplinary situation.

I think we’ve all heard George’s statements in the press after the qualifications. His objective was quite clear, explained Christian Horner.

« It is inevitable that some drivers will try little games on track. This is something we’ve brought up with the race director after the drivers’ briefing, so that he keeps an eye on it, because it’s clear that these kinds of maneuvers can happen.

« Max, for his part, was impeccable throughout the weekend. He had a very good race », he says.

When asked what Red Bull had said specifically to Rui Marques, Christian Horner replied: « We just said to him, ‘Can you keep an eye on what’s going on? Because some statements have been made in the media, so please pay attention to it.’ »

Red Bull fails in its double protest against George Russell

Furthermore, Red Bull saw two protests against George Russell’s behavior behind the safety car at the end of the race in Canada be dismissed.

George Russell beat Max Verstappen to claim victory in Montreal, but Red Bull believed that the Mercedes driver had violated the regulations twice, even suggesting that he had intentionally attempted to provoke a penalty against the Dutchman.

The commissioners ultimately rejected the two claims after a prolonged investigation. The official race result was confirmed only more than five hours after the checkered flag.

In the championship, Max Verstappen is now trailing by 43 points behind leader Oscar Piastri, but is closing the gap to 21 points with Lando Norris.