Horner sides with Russell and Hamilton on MAJOR proposed F1 change

Red Bull boss Christian Horner is in agreement with George Russell and other drivers over the proposed ban on tyre blankets in F1, adding the ban is "not what the drivers want".

In order to reduce carbon emissions and increase sustainability in F1, the bosses of the sport have been looking at several ways in which to make tweaks.

One contentious area is the planned removal of electric tyre blankets, which are used to heat the tyres on the grid and in the garage so they are grippier when raced on.

A crunch vote is set for the end of July to decide whether they should still be used with the FIA, F1 bosses, and Formula 1 teams all getting their say.

Several drivers have voiced their opposition to such practices with Mercedes driver and Grand Prix Drivers Association director George Russell saying "there will be crashes" while Fernando Alonso says he is "not a big fan" of the idea.

READ MORE: Drivers HIT OUT at controversial proposed FIA rule change

Lewis Hamilton, who has been involved in dry-weather no-blanket testing with Pirelli slammed the proposals as "dangerous" and "pointless".

Even pundit and Sky F1 commentator Martin Brundle says the new regulations would be very "high risk".

Now, Horner has weighed in on the debate and he is firmly on the side of the drivers in this case, adding that the sport should make blankets more sustainable rather than scrapping them altogether.

"I don't think it is what the drivers want," he told reporters.

"My fear with these things is that when you think you are going to achieve something simplistically that would create better racing, then there will then be a whole lot of effort go into trying to heat tyres very quickly on out laps and so on that could drive a lot more cost.

"Everybody has tyre blankets, they do the job. I think what we should be looking at is sustainable ways of powering those as opposed to removing them."

READ MORE: F1 tyres in 2023: Rules, changes, compounds and regulations

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