In hearings attended by both teams, Red Bull argued that Verstappen hadn’t overtaken by moving his nose in front, “that both cars were on and off the throttle’ and that there were ‘a million precedents’ under safety car where cars had pulled alongside then moved back behind the car that was in front.”
The stewards said: Although car 33 [Verstappen] did at one stage, for a very short period of time, move slightly in front of car 44 [Hamilton], at a time when both cars where accelerating and braking, it moved back behind car 44 and it was not in front when the safety car period ended (i.e. at the line). Accordingly, the protest is dismissed.”
Mercedes lost its protest fee of €2000 but can appeal against the decision.
It has also protested the restart procedure after the safety car, which is still being considered.