F1 News

Horner: “The loser is always the team” in teammate crashes like Ferrari’s

23 November 2019 at 15:37
  • Bevan Youl

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said that “the loser is always the team” in situations like Ferrari’s at the Brazilian Grand Prix when teammates collide, leading to both cars retiring.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc came together at Interlagos last weekend when battling each other on track, causing both to retire from the race with damage and prompting boss Mattia Binotto to call for a meeting with the pair.
 
Horner himself has had to deal with similar situations before when Vettel, driving for Red Bull, collided with teammate Mark Webber at the Turkish Grand Prix in 2010.

"It depends on the scenario and each team has a different approach, and different people have different approaches, so it's difficult for me to judge Ferrari's situation," said Horner as quoted by Autosport.

"But the loser is always the team in that situation. Obviously it is a tricky one."

The Briton also said that the resulting decision in what is best for the team quite often isn’t the best decision for the drivers as individuals.

“I'm glad it's not my drivers," he added.

"It's always a difficult situation.

"Race drivers are fiercely competitive animals, and there is often a conflict between what is right for the team and what is right for the individual."