F1 News
Horner still backs Verstappen: 'Don't understand first penalty yet'
- Cas van de Kleut
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner continues to defend Max Verstappen after his driving style has been put into the spotlight following the two penalties in Mexico. However, Horner did admit there was an issue with the turn seven incident.
Verstappen received two 10-second penalties for his actions at the Mexican Grand Prix. The first was for pushing Norris off the track when he was not ahead at the apex. The second penalty stemmed from an overtaking move by Verstappen, where he and Norris ended up off track.
Horner still defends Verstappen after Mexico GP
Horner still finds it hard to understand the first penalty: "I understand the second one but I still struggle to understand the first one. Particularly when we'd seen the data afterwards you could see Lando come off the brakes, take extra speed, braked later than he did on his fastest lap."
Horner was asked if that was because Norris ran wider. "No. So at this point he's getting a lot more speed, and I really don't think he would have been able to stay on track at that point. And of course the other car just can't get out of the way. I think the problem we've got with the way these rules are going, that always when you're on the outside, you're going to be taking more risk. The corner belongs to the inside line. I get that one, fair play, but the one before, I think it's very, very difficult because it's going to change the way that these guys go racing."
Damon Hill has been one of the most outspoken people who have expressed their views on the situation with Verstappen. The former World Champion grilled the Dutchman for his behaviour, to which Verstappen later replied to.
Hill asked Horner if it is a strategy by Red Bull to make these kinds of actions and potentially get away with it. Horner explained that this is not the case: "Not really. I think it's more the opposite way around. It's the inverse way of that, where the car on the outside, it's almost like going for the offside rule [in football]. And they're trying to get ahead or show that their nose is ahead. So come off the brakes and just carry speed. Now of course, if you're on the outside you're inherently taking more risk because the inertia of these cars will always carry you to the exit of the corner. So this is where it becomes very difficult to allow a car's width for the car on the outside. It's sort of redefining all the principles of how these kids go racing from karting onwards."
This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton