Red Bull won’t like the latest Formula 1 rule change being ‘discussed’ after recent Mercedes protests

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In the space of just over a month, Red Bull brought three protests against George Russell and Mercedes.

Protests are not common in F1, with only 18 in the last five years, and can be an either/or outcome in favour of a team.

Alpine once successfully protested a protest by Haas at the 2022 US Grand Prix, when the American team claimed Fernando Alonso’s car was driven in an unsafe condition due to a loose mirror that eventually detached from his car.

After an initial ruling by the stewards that resulted in a time penalty for Alonso post-race, Alpine would argue that Haas lodged their protest too late. They were successful and restored Alonso’s seventh place, with Kevin Magnussen dropping from eighth to ninth place.

It was a legitimate concern from Haas, but Alpine were quick enough to spot that the proper procedures were not met. In the case of Red Bull, their protests were all unsuccessful and gained criticism from Toto Wolff, who branded their attempts at overturning Russell’s Canadian GP win “petty” and “embarrassing” (via Sky Sports).

Now it appears the FIA and F1 are keen to clamp down on the legitimacy of protests after a recent discussion that took place between the teams in light of Red Bull’s attempts.

Red Bull’s protests have caught the eye of the FIA and F1 teams

Red Bull has been trigger-happy lately, and in the context of the ongoing spat between Russell and Max Verstappen, it’s not hard to see the connection when they were all prompted by complaints over team radio.

The first came after the Miami Grand Prix when Red Bull argued that Russell failed to adhere to the yellow flags, following a radio message from Verstappen asking his team to check if he slowed.

Verstappen is known for spotting these kinds of indiscretions, having successfully earned Lando Norris a 10-second stop-go penalty for doing the same in the Qatar GP last year.

The stewards rejected Red Bull’s attempts in Miami on Russell, but it was their next protests in Canada that left a sour taste in everyones mouth. Russell had crossed the line in first, but it would take nearly six hours before the result of the race was confirmed.

Red Bull lodged two protests claiming that Russell had failed to keep 10-car lengths under the Safety Car and had driven erratically. While the former was withdrawn by Red Bull when it was clear Russell had committed no such offence, the latter was investigated after an incident between Russell and Verstappen on track.

The Milton Keynes squad claimed that Russell was trying to instigate a penalty for Verstappen, knowing he was close to a one-race ban at the time, and “displayed unsportsmanlike intent” with his harsh braking.

Russell argued that he braked periodically to maintain a gap to the Safety Car and temperatures in his brakes and tyres. The FIA would later explain that what Russell did was within the degree of tolerance they give regarding the 10-car length rule, and ruled that he did not drive erratically.

READ MORE: How Toto Wolff reacted to Red Bull’s ‘petty’ Canadian Grand Prix protest speaks volumes about Mercedes rivalry

FIA open to increasing protest deposits after frivolous Red Bull attempts

Red Bull’s frivolous attempts to earn their competitors penalties have led to a discussion to increase the deposit teams must pay to the FIA when lodging a protest with the stewards.

Currently set at €2,000 (£1,700) per protest, this is set to be increased for protests, rights of review, and appeals, with scope for including investigations into competitors’ cars.

Russell recently argued that a “six-figure sum” should be required to dissuade any speculation, as teams feel it’s worth taking the hit financially if they are right or wrong because of the implication that one team is cheating.

Zak Brown has also been vocal after Red Bull pushed for the FIA to investigate McLaren’s brake system earlier this year, which was later found to be legal by scrutineers following the Miami GP.

An increase in the protest fee would likely deter such contentious protests from seeing the light of day, while ensuring that F1 fans are not left waiting for race results to be declared hours after a chequered flag and podium ceremony.