Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is glad that his team’s rival with Ferrari has not been marred by politics or other off-track issues following the 2022 F1 French GP.
The Briton believes there is a healthy amount of respect between Red Bull and the Scuderia this season. This has translated into some scintillating races between the two teams this season with no tensions flaring on either side, unlike last year.
Speaking in an interview with Eurosport after Max Verstappen’s seventh win of the season, Horner spoke about the ongoing rivalry with Ferrari. The 48-year-old said:
“There’s a respect between the two teams that is extremely competitive. We’re going head-to-head at each race and there is genuine respect between the drivers and teams which is good to see. Certainly, today it’s been a competition that’s been about what’s happening on the track. There’s not been a lot of politics and b*****t with what’s going on off the track.”
Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc have also been amicable so far. The Dutchman was even heard checking on Leclerc’s condition following the latter’s crash at Le Castellet (Circuit Paul Ricard).
The politics that the Red Bull team principal was alluding to could pertain to the FIA’s impending technical directive about porpoising, which is poised to take effect from the 2022 F1 Belgian GP weekend. It could also allude to the fierce on-track and off-track rivalry between the Austrian team and Mercedes in 2021.
“Just run the car higher” – Red Bull boss against FIA’s technical directive for porpoising
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes it will be unfortunate for F1 if the FIA enforces technical changes to tackle porpoising that according to him will benefit only one team in the 2023 season.
The FIA recently announced its plans to introduce a host of measures to tackle porpoising after many drivers complained about the potential health risks associated with vigorous bouncing.
This includes raising the floor edges as well as the diffuser throat and could have a major impact on car design for all teams. The FIA also plans to crack down on the flexi-floor design that has been front and center of Red Bull and Ferrari’s designs thus far in 2022.
FIA step in over car bouncing and issue a Technical Directive #F1.FIA step in over car bouncing and issue a Technical Directive #F1. https://t.co/UEUIGawB0l
The proposed directive has split the grid in half with five teams (Red Bull, Ferrari, Haas, Alfa Romeo, and Williams) opposing the changes.
Christian Horner believes that the directive is a result of aggressive lobbying by Mercedes, one of the worst affected teams by porpoising ever since the 2022 regulatory changes kicked in.
Speaking to Sky Sports during the 2022 F1 French GP weekend, the 48-year-old said:
“I think the problem is what they’re looking at as a remedy for next year. The directive [for Spa], it’s neither here nor there for us. I think there’s an awful lot of lobbying to change the regulations significantly for next year, so a certain team can run its car lower and benefit from that concept.”
Horner went on to add:
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“It’s a very late point in the year to be doing this. I think the [FIA] president is doing the right thing, he’s collating all of the information, and hopefully a sensitive solution can be found. Because it’s too late in the day for fundamental regulation changes, which something like that would be. Just run the car higher: it’s easy. We haven’t had a problem all year. There’s only one team that’s had a big problem.”
Red Bull holds a commanding lead with 396 points in the World Constructors’ Championship standings after 12 rounds of racing. Heading into the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP, Horner and Co. are 82 points ahead of Ferrari in P2. Mercedes is a distant third with 270 points.
