Horner makes budget cap jibe in ‘brutal’ F1 complaint

Formula 1 bosses have been united in their damning assessment of the punishing schedule imposed upon their teams.

Speaking ahead of the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, Aston Martin’s Mike Krack, Red Bull’s Christian Horner and McLaren’s Andrea Stella all criticised the timing of the event.

FP2 was delayed due to track work until 2:30am local time and the race didn’t start until 10pm local time, meaning some staff members worked an intense 12 hour shift.

READ MORE: F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weather forecast - shock rain showers threatening Yas Marina Circuit

“I sincerely hope that subscriptions to Lemsip are not within the budget cap,” Horner joked, adding that it was a “pretty brutal regime.”

“We were effectively working in the Japanese time zone in Vegas, and then a 12-hour swing to come here. So it's something that's been raised with Formula 1 and the FIA,” he added.

“I think there should be adjustments for the future. And the way it has been discussed already up and down the pit lane, I think there will be some adjustments for the future,” Krack added.

“We need to have a dialogue with F1 to make sure that what can be improved, is improved,” Stella agreed. “Certainly, we will keep talking about the timetable, if possible, specifically for the race in Vegas.”

After a tricky start to the weekend due to a loose manhole cover in FP1 that caused substantial damage to Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari, the race actually provided some intense racing.

Throughout the race, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc traded the lead before the Dutchman pushed on late in the race to take the win.

Perez and Leclerc battled for P2 until the last lap, with the Monegasque making a late move to grab the second step on the podium from the Mexican.

Leclerc’s strong showing Las Vegas guaranteed that Ferrari stayed in the fight for P2 in the constructors’ standings. With one race to go, the Italian outfit is just four points behind Mercedes.

READ MORE: F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Schedule, start times and TV channels for practice, qualifying and race

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