Red Bull admits that Mark Webber wasn't to blame for the collision between its drivers in Istanbul and that it was a 'racing accident' Red Bull Racing has moved to retract previous comments suggesting that Mark Webber was to blame for the collision between its two drivers in the Turkish Grand Prix, with team principal Christian Horner stating that it was a 'racing accident'.
Team advisor Helmut Marko had been the most vocal supporter of Sebastian Vettel following the incident while the pair battled for the lead in Istanbul despite the vast majority of onlookers blaming the German; who turned across Webber as he attempted to take the lead.
In a question and answer released by the team, Horner admitted that Red Bull 'wins and loses as a team' and the incident wasn't solely down to either driver.
“What we expect from our drivers, as team mates, is that they show respect for each other and allow one another enough room on the race track,” he said. “Unfortunately neither driver did this on Sunday and the net result was an incident between the two. During the previous six one-two finishes we have achieved, there have been many incidences of close racing between our drivers and they have previously always abided by this understanding.
“Ultimately we win as a team and we lose as a team and on Sunday we lost as a team, as a result of our two drivers having an incident. Having looked at all the information it's clear that it was a racing accident that shouldn't have happened between two team-mates. After looking at all the facts that weren't available immediately after the race, Dr. Marko also fully shares this view.”
The Q&A, which can be read in full HERE, also confirms that Webber had been forced to swap to a leaner fuel mixture before Vettel - which accounted for the difference in speed between the pair – and insists that no orders were given to either driver when it came to changing position.
Horner also confirmed that the team will sit down to discuss what happened and that neither will be give preferential treatment through the remainder of the campaign.
“We're a very strong team and we will sit down and discuss this openly with the drivers in order to learn from what has happened and avoid a situation like this arising again,” he said. “One of the strengths of Red Bull Racing is the team spirit here, which has contributed to the performance that we have achieved so far this season. The drivers are both intelligent individuals and this issue will be resolved prior to the Canadian Grand Prix.
“I have spoken with both drivers, who are both disappointed with what happened. They recognise that they represent the team and so are not only disappointed for their own loss, but the loss of points for the team who put in so much hard work before the race.
“Both drivers, as has always been the case, will continue to be given equal treatment. The Turkish Grand Prix has been a costly lesson for both drivers and we are confident that this situation won't happen again.”
共
55
則