George Russell has kept his third-placed finish in the Miami Grand Prix after a post-race protest lodged by Red Bull against the Mercedes driver was rejected.
Russell finished ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the final podium place on Sunday but the latter’s team launched a protest against the Mercedes driver to the stewards after alleging the Mercedes driver had failed to sufficiently slow for a single-waved yellow flag during the race.
Stewards heard representatives from both teams in a hearing in the hours after the race but ultimately rejected Red Bull’s case.
In the hearing, Red Bull claimed that “while [Russell] lifted the throttle when the yellow flag was displayed, it did not reduce speed” and so argued the Mercedes had not adhered to the regulations.
Mercedes representatives, however, said that the “common practice accepted by all teams and the FIA was and still is that significantly lifting the throttle in a yellow flag zone is considered as an appropriate reaction and they therefore complied with the relevant regulations”.
George Russell doubles over after complaining of stomach cramps in final ten laps of his third place finish at the Miami GP.
They said that Russell had duly “significantly” lifted off the throttle after seeing the stranded car at the side of the track.
After hearing from both sides, stewards threw out Red Bull’s case – meaning the team also forfeited their protest deposit.
Stewards ruled: “It was evident from the onboard footage as well as from telemetry that Car 63 [Russell] lifted the throttle when passing the yellow flag zone.
“The throttle was lifted by approx. 25 percent and this resulted in a reduction of torque of approx. 30 percent.
“Article 26.1. a) requires the driver to have “discernibly reduced speed” in a yellow flag zone but does not specify if that means reducing the absolute speed or reducing the speed relative to the regular racing speed in the relevant part of the track.
“The speed of Car 63 in the yellow flag zone was considerably slower than the regular racing speed, but the absolute speed while passing through the yellow flag zone increased slightly.
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“The Stewards determine that the requirement of Article 26.1 a) concerning the reduction of speed in a yellow flag zone can only relate to a reduction relative to the regular racing speed as the reduction of the absolute speed can, depending on the part of the track in which the yellow flag is displayed, represent a compliance or a non-compliance with the regulations whereas a reduction of the relative speed always signals that the driver has acknowledged and respected the yellow flag.
“For instance, in a braking zone the absolute speed can be reduced without necessarily complying with the regulations.”
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