Red Bull boss Christian Horner has been summoned to see the stewards after the Qatar Grand Prix for allegedly breaking the FIA’s International Sporting Code.
In a remarkable turn of events in a week dominated by stewards’ investigations in F1, a summons was issued shortly after the race, alleging a breach of Article 12.2.1.f and 12.2.1.k of the Sporting Code.
Horner will see the stewards at 19.15 local time.
Horner has been outspoken about several stewards’ decisions over the past two weeks, with Red Bull’s title battle with Mercedes spilling off the track in Brazil and Qatar.
Those two parts of the code read as follows:
Article 12.2.1.f Any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motor sport and on the values defended by the FIA.
12.2.1.k Any Misconduct towards:
• licence-holders,
• officials,
• officers or member of the staff of the FIA,
• members of the staff of the Organiser or promoter,
• members of the staff of the Competitors,
• doping control officials or any other person involved in a doping control carried out in accordance with Appendix A.
On Sunday, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was given a five-second penalty for not slowing for yellow flags in qualifying.
Before the race, Horner criticised the decision on Sky Sports, saying the FIA needed “grown-ups making a grown-up decision”. It is not yet confirmed which comments have been called into question for this summons.
Speaking on the Verstappen penalty further, Horner suggested the marshal waving yellow flags on the side of the road was acting independently of the FIA.
“We’re really struggling to understand it. It looks like a complete balls-up.
“The FIA have effectively said, ‘Play on, the circuit is safe, it’s clear’. Max was in the first sector, we had so much time to look at it. The dash, everything for him, if indicated otherwise, we would of course, had informed him. Unfortunately there’s a yellow flag, he just didn’t see it. He saw the white one [panel], he saw the car, he even saw a green light on the right-hand side.
“I think it’s just a rogue marshall that stuck a flag out. He’s not instructed to by the FIA, they’ve got to have control of the marshals. It’s as simple as that.
“That’s a crucial blow in the championship for us. We’re now starting P7 at a track you can’t overtake at. That is massive.”
Source: www.espn.com