F1 News: Christian Horner Fumes At FIA After Brazilian GP Qualifying Disaster

Christian Horner criticized the delayed red flag during the rain-soaked Brazilian GP qualifying, causing Max Verstappen to be eliminated.

Jun 8, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Christian Horner in the pit lane at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has voiced his deep dissatisfaction following a delayed red flag that hampered Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez's qualifying. Both drivers were eliminated during Q2.

Whilst speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the session, Horner commented:

"It's hugely frustrating.

"A session like that there's obviously a huge amount going on. We don't understand why it took so long for it [the red flag] to come out.

"It was obviously a big accident, one of the most dangerous corners on the circuit, 40 seconds it took to throw the red flag. It's the second day in a row now that we have had very late calls, whether it was the VSC yesterday or the red flag today. The other red flags were all instantaneous. 

"Very, very harsh but it is what it is and we've got to try and fight back this afternoon.

"As soon as you have an accident like that it should be an immediate red flag. If they had red-flagged it immediately Max would have been 10th and he would have had time for another lap.

"We would like to understand the thinking of the race director to understand why it took so long to throw that red flag."

In a session plagued by extreme weather, the Interlagos circuit was beset with a slew of red flags due to several accidents. The qualifying kicked off under these challenging conditions, where Franco Colapinto’s crash in Q1 triggered the first red flag. As conditions remained perilous, Q2 saw further disruptions, with crashes such as Carlos Sainz’s at Turn 2, eventually culminating in Stroll's crash during Q2 at Turn 3. This particular incident became the focal point of Horner’s frustration — with Verstappen unable to proceed due to the timing of race control's red flag decision.

As Qualifying was postponed to Sunday morning, there is now just a few hours before the Grand Prix takes place. Aston Martin, Williams, and Ferrari all have a lot of work on their hands as they attempt to get the cars ready for the Grand Prix.

2024 Brazilian GP Qualifying Results

1. Lando Norris
2. George Russell
3. Yuki Tsunoda
4. Esteban Ocon
5. Liam Lawson
6. Charles Leclerc
7. Alex Albon
8. Oscar Piastri
9. Fernando Alonso
10. Lance Stroll
11. Valtteri Bottas
12. Max Verstappen (Not including a 5-place grid penalty for the race)
13. Sergio Perez
14. Carlos Sainz
15. Pierre Gasly
16. Lewis Hamilton
17. Oliver Bearman
18. Franco Colapinto
19. Nico Hulkenberg
20. Zhou Guanyu