Horner: It looked like the drivers were on slicks on a wet track

Christian Horner expressed his regret about the unexpected situation that arose at the start of the first training session in Las Vegas, but as the head of Red Bull Racing emphasized, safety must always be a priority.

Christian Horner: “It’s a shame that the work on the circuit has been interrupted, but the problem is related to the frame of the drainage holes, and now we have to check the drainage system around the entire circle. Something has to be done, because this has a direct impact on safety. You see what happened to Alpine and Ferrari cars.

Our cars are still fine, but I managed to talk to Frederic Vasseur on the way and he said that Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari had suffered very serious damage. Because this generation of cars has very low ground clearance, the FIA ​​must thoroughly check the entire circuit.

It’s unfortunate that this happened, and I worry about the fans, and teams in this situation will have to be flexible and willing to adjust the weekend schedule. But safety comes first, so the track must be put in order. I hope this doesn’t take too long.

Judging from the first impressions of our riders, it seemed to them as if they were riding on slicks on wet asphalt. However, this is normal with a completely new coating. Their biggest problems were in the braking zones.

To give the teams and drivers a normal chance to adapt, we will probably have to extend the remaining practice times, which may require us to spend the night on track!”

Horner was also asked to comment on Max Verstappen’s words that the Las Vegas Grand Prix is ​​“99% show and 1% sport”: “Max is understandable. He is a racing driver and hates all the pomp and circumstance that is generated around Formula 1. He just wants to drive a racing car, it’s not about fame and everything that comes with it, but about all those show business elements that come with it. the race in Las Vegas, they just make him uncomfortable.