Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has slammed Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne claiming he can’t “hold Formula 1 to ransom” over future rules.
The legendary Italian team is putting up a major front to the sport’s owners Liberty Media, claiming they are wanting to protect the DNA of F1 as negotiations for a new Concorde Agreement take place, which will be implemented in 2021.
Last year, proposed changes to the engine in three years time led to Marchionne’s threat to pull Ferrari out of F1 but Horner insists it should be the prerogative of Liberty and the FIA to enforce their role as the rule makers.
“It might be bad for us or Ferrari or Mercedes, but it’s Liberty who must decide what they want F1 to be,” Horner told Spanish publication El Confidencial.
“It’s inevitable that there are going to be two battlefields but FOM and the FIA are going to make the rules and then it’s up to the teams to decide if they want to be part of it or not.”
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Ferrari has also argued that Liberty, just one year into their time in charge, don’t have the knowledge to make such important decisions over the future direction of F1.
“I think that’s disrespectful to Ross Brawn, one of the most successful engineers in F1 history,” Horner said, referring to the former Mercedes and Ferrari man who is now managing director of motorsport.
“I think Liberty has a good understanding of the business and it’s up to them to decide what’s best.”
Ultimately, Horner hopes a solution is found which suits all claiming it is “fantastic” to compete against Ferrari, however: “It’s wrong to hold F1 to ransom in that way,” he warned.
