Red Bull Racing: 'We made a decision about implementing team orders'

Red Bull will enforce team orders on Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen if they crash into each other one more time, Dr Helmut Marko has warned. Red Bull's Azerbaijan Grand Prix ended in a first-corner crash between their drivers after a testing Baku race for the team.

Ricciardo had three goes at getting beyond Verstappen in the race, with wheels banging amid a couple of close calls before the Australian finally got past the Dutchman.

However, Verstappen's successful overcut turned the tables once again after both had pitted.

With a podium place for one, or perhaps even both drivers, on the cards, those hopes went up in smoke as Ricciardo rear-ended a swerving Verstappen at the end of Baku's monster straight.

Red Bull and the FIA placed the blame at the feet of both drivers, who were ordered to apologise to the team at the Milton Keynes factory for their actions.

Team principal Christian Horner distanced Red Bull from introducing team orders to negate the kind of thrilling battles that have characterised Verstappen and Ricciardo's battles.

However, Marko says that if the drivers cannot prove themselves capable of avoiding incidents with each other, the team will step in.

"If there is another crash, we will have to introduce team orders, although we are actually against it," Marko told Sport Bild.

"We got Max because of his speed and his aggressiveness. You have to live with the fact that sometimes sparks fly."

Verstappen and Ricciardo were both contrite immediately after the race, refusing to point the finger at each other, and the Dutchman confirmed they remain on good terms.

"Daniel and I are completely OK with each other," he told Servus TV.

"We can both see that what happened isn't good for the team.

"We'd already had some tough battles, but everything was fine. It was hard but fair.