Christian Horner responds after Toto Wolff brands Red Bull protest 'petty' and 'embarrassing'

Christian Horner has spoken out after Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff slammed Red Bull's Canadian Grand Prix protests.

On Sunday, Mercedes star George Russell won the Canadian Grand Prix after coming home first ahead of Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli.

The Brit's victory was at risk after Red Bull decided to launch a protest against the Mercedes driver.

According to a document released by Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, Red Bull had complained about Russell 'driving erratically under Safety Car' and 'displaying unsportsmanlike behaviour'.

However, the protest was later rejected, meaning Russell was able to keep his victory.

On Monday night, Wolff was asked about the protest at the F1 movie world premiere in New York.

The Mercedes team boss said: "First of all it took the team, Red Bull Racing, two hours before they launched the protest.

"That was their doing. Honestly, it’s so petty and so small. They did it in Miami. Now they launched two protests, they took one back because it was ridiculous. They come up with weirdo IC clauses, sporting code causes."

Wolff continued: "I guess the FIA needs to look at that because it’s so farfetch’d. It was rejected. You race, you win and you lose on track. That was a fair victory for us like so many they had in the past. It’s just embarrassing.

"One they actually pulled as a protest, not even following it though because it was nonsense. The second one took us five hours there because I don’t even know what they referred to as unsportsmanlike behaviour. What is it all about? Why do you do that? Who decides it? I am 100% sure it’s not Max. He’s a racer and he wouldn’t go for a protest on such a trivial thing."

Red Bull team boss Horner was then asked whether he had any regrets about the protest.

He responded: "No, absolutely not. I mean it's a team's right to do so.

"We saw something that we didn't think was quite right, and you have the ability to put it in front of the stewards. So that's what we chose to do. Absolutely no regrets in that."

F1 will return next weekend with the Austrian Grand Prix, which will take place around the Red Bull Ring.