Unfair to change F1 rules for one team, says Horner

MONTREAL : Formula One's governing body should make sure Mercedes have a safer car rather than changing the rules for everyone, Red Bull boss Christian Horner suggested on Friday.

Horner told Reuters at the Canadian Grand Prix that soaring inflation and energy costs were a more pressing problem than 'porpoising', the bouncing phenomenon suffered in its most extreme by Mercedes.

He said an FIA technical directive sent to the teams on Thursday and setting out measures to be taken on safety grounds would be hard to police, and questioned why it was even necessary.

"It seems very unfair at this point of the year when there’s only really one team that’s missed the target," said Horner in a clear reference to the struggling champions.

"Is it right to change everything for that one team or should the one team change to get itself more in line?," he asked.

"Personally I would put the emphasis on the team to get itself together."

Mercedes' seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton told reporters after last weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix that it had been his toughest race and he had got through it with gritted teeth.

Horner, whose team have won six of eight races and are leading both championships, suggested then that some might be over-playing the problems to secure a favourable rule change on safety grounds.

"I'd tell them to bitch as much as they could and make as big an issue out of it as they possibly could," he had said when asked what he would tell his drivers if they suffered from similar bouncing.

Horner said that if the FIA wanted to intervene on safety grounds it could always disqualify a dangerous car by having a black flag waved.

'COLLABORATIVE APPROACH'

Horner added that more consultation between teams and the FIA was needed