Russell proposes raising F1 protest fees to six-figure sum

George Russell, director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, proposes a significant change to Formula 1’s protest system — filing fees should be raised to six-figure sums.

This suggestion follows his delayed victory celebration at the Canadian GP, which was held up for nearly six hours due to Red Bull’s ultimately rejected protest. Teams currently only need to pay €2,000 to file a protest, an amount Russell considers insignificant for F1 teams.

“When you look at the financial penalties for saying a swear word or touching a rear wing, €2,000 for a team making nine-figure profits is not going to even touch the sides — they won’t even think twice about it,” Russell explained.

The British driver emphasized that the Canadian protest appeared to come from Red Bull team, not from Max Verstappen. Russell and Verstappen spent 45 minutes in the stewards’ room presenting their arguments.

FIA has responded by making penalty and driving standards guidelines public. Russell also supports the idea of using permanent professional stewards — replacing the current rotating volunteer system.