Horner reveals reason behind Red Bull’s controversial team order for Verstappen

Red Bull explained why it asked  Max Verstappen to let Russell pass after the crash at the first corner of the Spanish Grand Prix, although the referees later ruled that Russell's maneuver was invalid.

At the end of the Spanish Grand Prix, one of the legitimate questions was the following: why did Red Bull ask Max Verstappen to give up the position to George Russell after the first lap after the restart, when the safety car had already been pulled into the pits?

After analyzing Russell's maneuver in the first corner, which led to contact with car number 1, the judges assessed the incident as a racing contact. The British driver did not have full control over the car, and Max should have kept his position.

Red Bull's decision can easily be judged with hindsight as wrong and hasty, as it angered Max Verstappen, who then carried out what earned him a 10-second penalty and three penalty points. Now, Verstappen is at risk of a one-race suspension as he has just one point left before a possible disqualification.

The person who explained this decision was the team boss, Christian Horner. The British manager explained that the decision was made due to weather conditions. Namely, usually the race director notices a certain maneuver and forwards it to the judges. The judges then make a decision after the necessary evaluations.

To speed up the process and give Max a chance to regain position using hard tires on the hot track, the Milton Keynes team's pit wall asked the four-time world champion to let Russell go.

The race director should have reacted

"It's very difficult for a team to make a decision like that, because you're relying on past precedents. You're trying to predict what the judges and the race director are thinking. I think it would be useful for the teams if in such cases the race director makes a decision and says: either restore the position or follow the penalty, instead of trying to guess what the judges will decide."

"Max was angry because he was first touched by Leclerc on the straight and then directly hit by Russell in the first corner. And according to the current rules, it all depends on where the front axle is in relation to the opponent."

"We've seen a lot of penalties this year. The maneuver is recorded and then it goes to the referees. And then you expect the penalty to follow. That's why we said, OK, you know what? We have to leave that position."