Red Bull boss Christian Horner defended his stance against one of Max Verstappen’s penalties at the Mexico Grand Prix, although he ultimately admitted the other was deserved.
Horner presented telemetry data to the media during his post-race press session in Mexico to defend Verstappen in the Turn 4 incident that saw his driver penalized, something he still considers to be “very hard”.
"I think you had a reaction, as I said last week, between Austin and Mexico," said Horner after free practice for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
“For me, the first penalty [au virage 4] is still very, very hard. I understand the second one but the first one was difficult to understand.”
“You can see the data after the fact, Lando released the brakes and picked up extra speed. He braked later than his fastest lap. He had a lot more speed and I really don’t think he would have could stay on the track.”
“The problem with these rules… when you’re on the outside, you take more risks. The turn belongs to the inside line. It’s going to change the way these guys race.”
Asked if Red Bull believes certain “dirty” tactical maneuvers are worth doing if they come at the expense of their championship rival, Horner replied: “Not at all. We want to race hard and fair and this incident, among others, will undoubtedly be discussed.”
“Of course what you also want is consistency. We have seen several incidents similar to this, some were punished, others went unpunished. This is where the race director and “The drivers will definitely sit down and discuss it, because we all want to see a good fight until the end of the championship.”
“Max wants it, we want it as a team, but the rules of engagement need to be clear – and they shouldn’t be too complicated. It doesn’t need to be like a cricket playbook for overtaking . They just have to keep it simple.”
Horner then denied suggestions that Verstappen could actively try to take advantage of a gray area that currently exists in the regulations.
“It’s the instinct of a racing driver. Max will always look for the gap, he will always be hard at the edge of a corner. Max has been racing for 20 years now and on the inside line, going to the rope, he controls the turn at that point. That’s what he’s done throughout his career.”
“Now I don’t contest the second penalty [au Mexique]but the first one for me is just an uphill battle.”
“He drives on instinct at that moment and from all the experience you have gained in your previous career, he doesn’t think about a regulation at that moment of a braking zone. He fights to try to maintain his position.”
