Explained: Why George Russell was not penalized for yellow flag infringement
Red Bull's protest against George Russell for yellow flag infringement was rejected by the FIA, citing that the Mercedes driver's relative speed in the yellow flag zone was slower than his normal racing speed. After the verdict, he retained his P3 place while Max Verstappen settled for P4.
F1 is a sport of small margins. After the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, Russell's P3 win was threatened as he was accused of yellow flag infringement by Red Bull Racing. Moreover, the team lodged a protest with the FIA and had asked their driver, Max Verstappen, to maintain a five-second gap to the Mercedes driver, since a possible penalty would have promoted Max to P3.
However, the FIA rejected Red Bull's protest and allowed Russell to retain his P3. According to Article 26.1(a) of the F1 Sporting Regulations, via the Race:
"Any driver passing through a waved yellow flag marshalling sector must reduce their speed and be prepared to change direction. In order for the stewards to be satisfied that any such driver has complied with these requirements, they are expected to have braked earlier and/or discernibly reduced speed in the relevant marshalling sector."
Red Bull argued that Russell didn't reduce his speed entering the yellow flag zone, which is a strong ground for infringement, and demanded a penalty. However, Mercedes explained that the British driver lifted the throttle by 25%, which reduced engine torque by 30%. This means his speed under the yellow flag was slower than his normal racing speed.
FIA further clarified that 'reduced speed' does not always mean actual speed, where a driver must go slower than when entering the yellow flag zone. It is sometimes also referred to as relative speed, which means one must go slower than they would have in normal racing conditions and not necessarily slower than their earlier speed while entering the yellow flag zone. This is exactly what Russell did. He had lifted the throttle enough to slow down his car, which does not fall under any violation.
Red Bull not only failed to get Max Verstappen to inherit P3 but also lost the €2000 protest fee.
George Russell reveals having stomach cramps during the Miami GP
Mercedes driver George Russell defended Max Verstappen to secure a P3 podium victory at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. However, the last few laps weren't easy for him, as he apparently suffered from stomach cramps. Moreover, he skipped the post-race interview to head to medical care.
After a significant rest, Russell spoke to the media and said, via Crash.net:
"The last 15 laps I got this horrendous stomach cramp, and I’m struggling a lot now. I can’t stand straight; my stomach’s really causing me grief. I need to understand what went wrong there. I had a slightly bigger breakfast than normal, so that might be the reason."
Though George Russell finished 32 seconds slower than McLaren, he was pleased to beat Red Bull and win his fourth podium of the year.