Ferrari's 'grapefruit' fuel, speed impresses Horner

Christian Horner does not attribute the sweet smell of Ferrari's fuel to a potential bending of Formula 1's rules, with the Red Bull team principal crediting his Italian counterparts for producing a car he has described as "ballistically quick" in 2019.

Horner was quoted ahead of the Chinese grand Prix as saying Ferrari's Shell fuel smelled of grapefruit. Helmut Marko suggested it reminded him of strawberries.

Any development made on the fuel has likely helped Ferrari lay down impressive pace this year – the SF90 is thought to be four tenths per lap quicker than its rivals on straight-line speed.

Aerodynamic issues have prevented them converting that strength into dominance thus far, however, with Mercedes winning the first three races of the season, with one-two finishes to boot.

The Silver Arrows remain wary of the Scuderia, however, who could quickly begin to dominate if the aero issues are solved, owing to their clear pace advantage.

Asked if the strange smell and performance gains had raised doubts, Horner said: "Suspicious is probably the wrong word.

"They [Ferrari] are obviously doing a good job because they have been, particularly in a straight line, the stand-out competitors this year.

"Obviously fuel is part of that performance and I think they are doing a good job.

"ExxonMobil are seeing some good gains on our side as well, and they are working very hard in partnership with Honda. It is a particular area of interest for development, as it is effectively free and open without constraint, so there is definitely performance available in that area."

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