Formula One: Red Bull broke the rules but Christian Horner wants the sympathy

The Red Bull team broke Fomula One’s cap rules, and now team boss Christian Horner is complaining that the cheats are somehow the victims.

Max Verstappen has launched a boycott

Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, has called for an investigation into the leaking of information that the team had broken Formula One’s cost cap a week before the news was made public.

During the Singapore Grand Prix last month, it emerged that Red Bull had exceeded the sport’s USD$145 million spending limit, for which they have since been heavily punished. But confirmation from the FIA, the sport’s governing body, was not forthcoming until after the Japanese Grand Prix the following weekend, at which Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver, clinched his second consecutive world title.

Horner said: “The accusations made in Singapore were extremely upsetting for every single member of staff, all our partners, everyone involved within Red Bull. Obviously, any form of leakage is hugely worrying. It’s something that we expect to be followed up.”

Christian Horner has complained about the leaking of the fact that his team had cheated. Picture: AFP

Red Bull were eventually fined $10.5 million and had their budget for aerodynamic development reduced by 10 per cent, punishments that Horner described as “draconian”.

Horner told Autosport that the leaking of Red Bull’s transgression opened the door for other teams to pass premature judgment and shaped public opinion against them. Zak Brown, the McLaren chief executive, had urged the FIA to take strong action, saying the cap breach “constitutes cheating”.

“We’ve taken a very public pounding through the accusations that have been made by other teams,” Horner said. “Our drivers have been booed. The reputational damage that has been made by allegations has been significant. The time has come for that to stop.”

“What we’ve lost in wind tunnel time we’ve gained in motivation, so we’ll come out fighting hard next year.”

Make that another reason why Christian Horner is the best team principal on the grid.

You really do love to see it. pic.twitter.com/EvawjaydSF

— Matt 🇺🇸 | 🇧🇷BRAZIL🇧🇷 (@formulamatt3316) November 3, 2022

RED BULL BOSS WEIGHS IN AFTER F1 MEDIA BOYCOTT

Horner confirmed that his indignant team intended to resume normal service in co-operating with Sky television reporters after deciding to snub the broadcaster at the Mexico Grand Prix.

Horner, who asked the entire Red Bull team to support world champion Max Verstappen after he complained about comments made by reporter Ted Kravitz in Texas, said he and the champion outfit would return to normal with Sky in Brazil.

He explained following Verstappen’s record 14th win of the season in Sunday’s race that the team were disappointed with “a series of derogatory comments” on Sky, but would not continue their boycott.

Pit lane reporter Kravitz had suggested during his ‘notebook’ program after the United States Grand Prix that seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was “robbed” of an eight title at last year’s acrimonious Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Horner said: “There needs to be balance in commentary. Some of the commentary is excellent, but some of the pieces, there’s too much sensationalism.

For the avoidance of doubt my friend and colleague for the past 26 years @tedkravitz has my full support. Face to face dialogue is the only way to sort out issues and disputes in the relentless crucible of the F1 paddock. We all have opinions and different jobs to do, that’s life

— Martin Brundle (@MBrundleF1) November 1, 2022

“We stand together as a team. We just want to set an example and show that some things are not acceptable.

“It’s not just about Sky England either. It’s about all of their channels, including Germany and Italy. None of our team members spoke to them this weekend.” Verstappen had earlier said that he felt disrespected and suggested that some comments and opinions aired on television encouraged a toxic reaction in social media.

He was booed at the United States Grand Prix as the controversial saga of Red Bull’s breach of the $145 million (dollars) cost cap last year became a focus of attention for the news media and in the paddock.

He said: “It had nothing to do with this weekend, but this year has been a constant kind of like digging and being disrespectful, especially from one particular person.

Max Verstappen addresses the media.

“At some point, it’s enough, I don’t accept it. You can’t live in the past, you just have to move on.

“Social media is a very toxic place, and if you are constantly being like that on live TV, you make it only worse instead of trying to make it better in the world.” Hamilton, who finished second behind Verstappen, was booed after Sunday’s race and conceded that he had been affected and felt “awkward”.

He agreed that social media was a “toxic” place and encouraged people to “get off it ultimately”.

“Mental health is such a prominent thing right now,” he added.

Race winner Max Verstappen (third left), Lewis Hamilton (left), Sergio Perez (right) and Red Bull Racing race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase on the podium after the Mexico Grand Prix.

“I know so many people are reading their comments and what people say is hurtful.

“Fortunately, I don’t read that stuff, but the media platforms definitely need to do more, particularly for young kids and women. At the moment, they’re not doing that so I think this will just continue.” Verstappen’s victory took him to a record 416 points for the season to date, a record haul.

“Hopefully, we can score a few more, but it’s not about that. At the end of the day, it’s all about trying to win a championship and it doesn’t matter with how many points you get.

“I just live in the moment. I just try to do the best I can every weekend, win the races. It is just an incredible season for the team. I never thought I’d be able to win 14 races in a year.”