After the British driver, George Russell, criticized the five-second penalty given by the race steward during the Austrian Grand Prix, Christian Horner retaliated at Russell. Russell, who received a five-second time penalty for hitting Sergio Perez’s RB18 on the first lap, recognized the difficulties of his job before urging “consistency” wherever it is feasible. The dramatic and contentious championship decider in Abu Dhabi at the end of the previous season led to criticism of race stewarding. The FIA made sure measures were taken in the wake of the incident to fully define the ground regulations. And their own approach to organizing future races. And recently, Red Bull Boss Christian Horner also said that concerns will always remain surrounding decisions in races.
Christian Horner Defends FIA!
Despite recurring concerns about “the occasional bump in the carpet” surrounding the FIA’s decision-making, Christian Horner has defended how they have handled stewarding races this season. In the wake of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’s final laps, race stewarding came under scrutiny towards the end of the previous season. That year’s season finale was one of the most contentious in Formula 1 history.
After the intense incident, the organization that oversees Formula One reorganized its race management team. Michael Masi was fired from his position as race director. Moreover, Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas were replaced with a rotating duo. However, Christian Horner recently said that there will always be questions about decisions made during competitions. Apparently, he wanted to emphasize how well-liked the sport has become. According to him, Formula 1 as a whole is moving in the right direction, stewarding issues and race management issues aside.
During a conversation with the press, Horner said, “There will always be frustrations. But you just have to deal with it and get on with it. I think the sport has never been in better health. Wherever we go, there are record sell-out crowds”. Horner mentioned that interest in the sport is at an all-time high. Not just that, the product is great, and the racing is strong.
Following the Austrian Grand Prix, George Russell, the Mercedes driver, expressed his displeasure about receiving a five-second time penalty for hitting Sergio Perez on the first lap. However, it noted how challenging it is to serve as a steward and, whenever feasible, urged for “consistency.” While speaking, Christian Horner also brought up the modifications made to the FIA’s system following the release of their study on Abu Dhabi.
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