Red Bull appreciate 'disadvantaged' Mercedes 'push' for points penalties
Red Bull appreciate 'disadvantaged' Mercedes 'push' for points penalties
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has stated he can see why Mercedes would push for points deductions with Lewis Hamilton at a "disadvantage" with fewer race wins than Max Verstappen.
Title rivals Verstappen and Hamilton entered the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix level on points with the Red Bull driver ahead on countback of wins with nine to his name for the year, compared to the Briton's eight.
In his pre-event notes, FIA race director Michael Masi made clear the full extent of the penalties the stewards can dish out, the season-ending race coming just one week after contact between the rivals in Saudi Arabia.
"There needs to be consistency and so I can see why Toto and Lewis, with the disadvantage of race wins, would be pushing for that but nobody’s going into this race to say it’s going to end in a crash," said Horner.
"There’s been great speculation about it but our focus is on trying to win this on track and do it at the chequered flag."
Verstappen and Hamilton will line up together on the front row of the grid for Sunday's race with the Dutchman on soft tyres and his Mercedes rival on mediums.
Asked for his thoughts on Masi's "explicit reminder" that the FIA can apply points deductions "in the most extreme circumstances", Horner responded by questioning how such statements fit into the consistency of decisions across the year.
"It’s one of 22 races. What’s the difference between this race, for example, and Silverstone or Hungary?" questioned Horner.
"There has to be consistency, there has to be a consistency of stewarding, or penalties and I think that’s the thing that drives people more mad than anything else, is when there is perceived to be an inconsistency.
"So that piece of the sporting code that’s been highlighted in the notes, that’s always been there, that’s not something that’s been reintroduced for this weekend.
"Nobody wants to see this championship end up in front of the stewards or in a gravel trap.
"We want to see these two titans of drivers, who have gone wheel-to-wheel so often this year go at it again this weekend, that’s what, as a team we want, as a driver Max wants."
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GP BAHRAIN
29 Feb - 2 Mar
Max Verstappen
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GP SAUDI ARABIA
7 - 9 Mar
Max Verstappen
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GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
Carlos Sainz
- GP JAPAN 5 - 7 Apr
- GP CHINA 19 - 21 Apr
- GP USA 3 - 6 May
- GP ITALY 17 - 19 May
- GP MONACO 24 - 26 May
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F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
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