Max Verstappen and George Russell continued their rivalry at the 2025 F1 Canadian Grand Prix beyond Red Bull failing with a protest against the Mercedes driver’s win.
The Dutchman and Briton are increasingly becoming fierce rivals now, helped by Verstappen driving into Russell in the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix. Red Bull saw their star man lose his head in Barcelona when the team incorrectly told Verstappen to yield fourth place over to Russell.
It was not their first flash point, too, as the Red Bull and Mercedes pair’s rivalry hit overdrive after Russell stated Verstappen threatened to put him in a wall at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix. Verstappen was furious as he felt Russell tried to earn him a penalty, which denied him pole.
A penalty at the 2025 Canadian GP would have been huge for the 27-year-old as Verstappen is one penalty point away from a race ban. The four-time defending champion will lose two of the 11 points on his licence after the Austrian Grand Prix, but will have nine until October 27.
Max Verstappen ‘didn’t like’ losing pole for the 2025 Canadian GP to George Russell
Russell was even quick to point out Verstappen’s precarious position with his penalty points after beating the Dutchman to pole position for the 2025 Canadian GP last Saturday. The 27-year-old cheekily noted in Montreal: “I’ve got a few more points on my licence to play with.”
Guenther Steiner also believes the fact that Russell beat Verstappen to pole for the 2025 F1 Canadian GP would have annoyed the Red Bull racer. The Dutchman had set the provisional pole time with a 1:11.059 lap, yet Russell swept in at the end to snatch P1 by 0.160 seconds.
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Steiner said on talkSPORT: “It all started in Barcelona when Max drove into George Russell at the end of the race, and then got a penalty of 10 seconds. He didn’t do it on purpose, but it was not unpurposely. So, it’s something in between.
“It started there, and obviously the next race Russell beats Verstappen to pole position. Max didn’t like that, and there’s a bit of a rivalry there. It’s always good as long as it stays fair and it seems to be staying fair so far because of the start in Canada was all fair and square.”
Red Bull’s failed protest gives Mercedes and George Russell another reason to test Max Verstappen’s race ban fears
Despite Russell baiting Verstappen after qualifying for the 2025 Canadian GP about the Red Bull driver’s penalty points, the pair produced a clean race. Although they were rarely close on the road beyond the start, and even then the Mercedes ace got a much stronger launch.
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| Position | Drivers’ Championship | Points |
| 1 |
Oscar Piastri |
198 |
| 2 |
Lando Norris |
176 |
| 3 |
Max Verstappen |
155 |
| 4 |
George Russell |
136 |
| 5 |
Charles Leclerc |
104 |
| 6 |
Lewis Hamilton |
79 |
| 7 |
Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
63 |
Questions might have arisen if Verstappen was able to stay closer to Russell, with Mercedes’ surprising lack of tyre degradation in Canada helping the Briton run far enough in front. Red Bull feared rival drivers may goad Verstappen into a penalty in Canada last weekend, as well.
Those fears could now transition over the Austrian GP on June 27-29, with Verstappen still a penalty point shy of an automatic race ban which would rule the 65-time F1 race winner out of the British Grand Prix on July 4-6. So, Russell could try to test Verstappen’s anger again.
Mercedes also have another reason to test Verstappen in Austria after Red Bull failed with a protest against Russell’s Canadian GP win. Red Bull wrongly accused him of unsportsmanlike behaviour when Russell reported that Verstappen had overtaken him behind the safety car.
