Red Bull’s Horner Slams Race Stewards for Inconsistency in Montreal Grand Prix Decision
In a shocking turn of events at the Montreal Grand Prix, Red Bull’s Team Principal, Christian Horner, expressed his disbelief at the race direction’s decision to penalize Yuki Tsunoda after FP3 and one of the seven drivers under investigation post the Canadian GP.
During the Canadian Grand Prix, several drivers faced penalties before the race, with three being particularly severe. Yuki Tsunoda’s relegation of ten grid positions, along with two points on his FIA Super License, sparked controversy. The penalty was imposed as Tsunoda overtook Oscar Piastri under red flag conditions during FP3, where the championship leader was slowly heading towards the pits after hitting the ‘Wall of Champions.’ The overtake occurred at approximately 170 km/h, forcing Tsunoda to make an incredible comeback from 18th to 12th on the grid.
However, the decision did not sit well with Red Bull’s Christian Horner, especially after the events that unfolded towards the end of the race and during the in-lap after the checkered flag. Following a collision between two McLaren drivers and the subsequent entrance of the safety car on the track, seven drivers came under investigation for overtaking behind the safety car. Surprisingly, none of them were penalized, receiving only warnings.
Horner criticized the lack of consistency from the race stewards, stating, “Yuki was penalized on Saturday for an overtake, and then some cars overtook while the marshals were on track after the race, so, we expected a certain consistency.” He further emphasized Tsunoda’s performance, highlighting the difficulty of overtaking in Montreal. Horner suggested that Tsunoda should gain confidence from his performance and focus on his own race strategy to improve his results.
The controversial decisions made by the race stewards have left the Red Bull camp questioning the fairness and consistency of the penalties imposed during the Montreal Grand Prix. Will this lead to a change in how future races are officiated? Only time will tell.
