Toto Wolff has branded Red Bull "petty and embarrassing" over its decision to protest George Russell's Canadian Grand Prix victory.
In the aftermath of Russell's Montreal success over Max Verstappen, Red Bull launched a protest, alleging unsportsmanlike conduct against Russell and that he had allegedly fallen more than 10 car lengths behind the late safety car.
The 10-car length protest was withdrawn but the FIA still had to investigate claims of unsportsmanlike conduct against Russell, with Red Bull believing he had deliberately slowed down to try and make Verstappen pass him, to potentially get the world champion the one penalty point he would need for a race ban.
Ultimately, nearly five hours after the race, the stewards dismissed the protest, meaning Russell's victory stood, but Mercedes boss Wolff was far from happy with Red Bull's decision to protest.
"It is so petty and so small," Wolff told Sky Sports F1.
"They've done it in Miami, and they launched two protests, and took one back because it was ridiculous.
"They've got to come up with some weird ISC or sporting code clauses and I guess the FIA needs to look at that because it was so far-fetched.
"You race and you win and you lose on track. It was a fair victory for us, like so many they had in the past, and it is just embarrassing.
"They didn't even follow one protest through because it was nonsense, and the second hour took five hours, because it referred to 'unsportsmanlike behaviour' or something, what is it all about?
"Why do you do that? Who decides it because I am 100% sure that it is not Max, he is a racer, he would never go for a protest on such trival matters."
In response, Red Bull boss Christian Horner defended the protest.
"It is a team's right to do so," he explained.
"We saw something we didn't think was quite right, and you have the ability to put it in front of the stewards, so that is what we chose to do.
"So there are absolutely no regrets in that regard."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they dissect a controversial Canadian Grand Prix. Red Bull's rejected protest against George Russell's victory and the shock intra-team crash between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are main talking points.
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