F1 News: Christian Horner Refuses To 'Dignify' McLaren CEO's Accusation On Austrian GP Fiasco

Saajan Jogia | Jul 9, 2024

Christian Horner, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, speaks at the Red Bull Fan Zone, a private event at Oracle headquarters, on Wednesday October 18, 2023. / Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has refused to 'dignify' Zak Brown's accusation of Red Bull's leadership and its inability to follow the rules, especially pertaining to the Austrian GP Fiasco where Max Verstappen and Lando Norris made contact, causing the latter to earn a DNF.

A week after the race at the Hungaroring, Brown didn't let the matter go just yet. He expressed his frustration to the media ahead of the British Grand Prix, accusing Red Bull of repeatedly disregarding the rules and demonstrating a consistent lack of respect for them.

The McLaren team boss hasn't missed an opportunity to voice his concerns and this time, the scathing attack was such that Horner refused to respond. He said:

“[I was] disappointed such a great team like Red Bull, that the leadership almost encourages it because you listen on the radio to what was said. We all have a responsibility on the pit wall to tell our drivers, the do’s and don’ts and what’s going on in the race.

“So I think we need to have respect for regulations and we’ve seen there is a lack of respect, whether it’s financial regulations or sporting or off-track issues with fathers and things of that nature.”

When confronted with Brown's statements after the British GP, Horner chose not to 'dignify them. He said:

“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer."

The heated issue lingered throughout the week after the Austrian GP, with Norris concluding that Verstappen didn't need to apologize for the collision that led to his DNF. Despite this, Brown appears unwilling to let the matter go, even though Norris and Verstappen's friendship helped them find common ground.

The two drivers engaged in a close battle during the British Grand Prix. Despite McLaren's MCL38 showing superior pace, Red Bull's strategic decision to run on hard tires in the final stint tipped the scales in their favor. As a result, Verstappen secured P2 behind race winner Lewis Hamilton, with Norris finishing closely behind in P3.