Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has issued a sarcastic response to his Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff’s apology.
It was disaster for Red Bull as Valtteri Bottas’ Mercedes collided with McLaren’s Lando Norris, setting off a chain reaction of events. This included Sergio Perez being taken out and Max Verstappen sustaining heavy damage and falling behind.
Horner has revealed that due to the F1 cost cap, Silverstone and Budapest have made a dent in the team’s finances. He also mentioned that Perez’s car was so badly damaged that it would require an engine change.
According to multiple reports, Wolff had offered an apology to Horner and Red Bull, which the latter dismissed. Speaking about it, Horner oozed sarcasm.
“Is he going to pay the bill? It’s racing,” he said.
“Toto wasn’t driving the car, his driver was driving the car. I am sure he didn’t tell them ‘crash into Red Bull’. I am sure he wasn’t that sorry to see the result, but I am sure he didn’t tell Valtteri to do that.
“But the consequence for us is brutal and in a cost-cap environment that needs looking at by the FIA,” he concluded.
All to play for
Red Bull have had two races to forget in a row now. This is a stark contrast to the ones before them, where they won five on the bounce. Verstappen won four, while Perez won in an action-packed race in Baku. Horner was quick to reflect on the stellar season they have had so far, and the title race heating up.
“Look at the first half of this year. We have had six Grand Prix victories, the races we’ve lost were with a tire explosion, we were taken out at Silverstone and this race this weekend,” he said.
“There’s only a difference between a first and second between the two guys. I think it will be epic, the second half of this year, and we’re not giving up anything.”
Read more: Christian Horner blames Lewis Hamilton for painting wrong picture of Max Verstappen