Red Bull team boss Christian Horner believes that faster decisions from the Formula 1 race director during events would prevent teams from having to second-guess the stewards` rulings. This comment follows the chaotic conclusion to Max Verstappen`s Spanish Grand Prix.
Verstappen`s controversial collision with George Russell on lap 64, for which the four-time world champion later accepted blame and admitted `shouldn`t have happened`, occurred on the same lap Red Bull had instructed him to allow the Mercedes driver past.
The instruction came after a hectic restart three laps prior, following a late Safety Car period. During this restart, Verstappen ran wide off-track while attempting to stay ahead of Russell after their wheels touched during a Turn 1 overtaking attempt by the Briton.
Race Control had noted the initial Turn 1 incident for investigation. Anticipating a time penalty for their driver, Red Bull quickly asked Verstappen to cede the position. Verstappen, already sounding frustrated over team radio, debated the call before the subsequent collision with Russell, which resulted in a 10-second penalty for Verstappen.
However, official FIA documents released after the race revealed that stewards would not have penalised Verstappen for the original Turn 1 incident. Stewards determined that Russell had triggered the contact by `momentarily losing control of the car`, which forced the Red Bull off track, meaning no further action was necessary.
Speaking after the race, Horner explained the rationale behind telling Verstappen to drop behind Russell *before* any official decision on the first incident was communicated by the stewards.
“The way these regulations are now, it`s all about where that front axle is,” the Red Bull team principal told reporters, referring to F1`s updated Driving Standards Guidelines. “The drivers know the rules, and they`re the rules they`re playing to. The argument is, was George under control at that point in time? Would he have made the corner?
“Now, we`ve seen so many occasions this year where penalties have been given. We`ve seen it been noted. We`ve seen it gone to the stewards. The next thing is you`re expecting to get a penalty, so that`s why it was, `OK, do you know what? We`re going to have to give this place up.`”
When asked if instructing Verstappen to yield had been a mistake in hindsight, Horner responded, “Yes, but I think that`s where it would be nice, as the referee, as the race director, to either say play on or you need to give it back.”
He added, “I think it`s very hard for the team, subjectively, to try and make that call because you`re going on historical precedence. You`re looking at what you have in front of you, and you`re trying to pre-empt what the stewards and the race director are thinking.
“So I think it would be beneficial to the teams, in that instance, for the race director to make that call and say you either give it back or you get a penalty, rather than having to try and second-guess what the stewards are going to do.”
Horner Calls for Better Communication with Race Control
In-race communication channels between pit walls and the race director were restricted from the 2022 season onwards, limiting contact mainly to sporting directors. This change was made after the increasing and often controversial direct interventions from team bosses, such as Horner and Mercedes` Toto Wolff, became a notable feature of the intense 2021 championship battle between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Asked if teams can still contact the current race director, Rui Marques, Horner stated, “Yes, but you get nothing back. So you ask the question, but you get nothing back.”
He reiterated, “You used to get some guidance, but now it`s very subjective for the team to make that call.
“We looked at all the slow-mos, and it was really 50-50. And the argument was, is George under control of the car? Would he have made the corner? It looked like he would have made the corner.
“So you make the call to say, look, we need to give this place up.”
Horner suggested that this issue should be discussed further in the Sporting Advisory Committee (SAC).
Marcus Prine