Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur has taken aim at Red Bull's Christian Horner, accusing him of hypocrisy over comments about dominance in Formula One. Horner had previously criticised Mercedes' sustained success, warning that further dominance would be 'unpalatable' for the sport.
Vasseur pointed out that Red Bull enjoyed their own period of dominance with Sebastian Vettel from 2010 to 2013, winning four consecutive drivers' and constructors' championships. He argued that Horner's concerns about competitive balance were selective, given Red Bull's own history of success.
Horner had stated that Mercedes' dominance over the past three seasons, winning 51 of 59 grands prix, was damaging to F1. He suggested that Liberty Media, the sport's new owners, would need to act to prevent a repeat under the new regulations. However, Vasseur dismissed these remarks, noting that Red Bull had not faced similar criticism during their title-winning years.
Ross Brawn, Liberty Media's motorsport director, has ruled out artificial restrictions to curb success, advocating instead for financial redistribution to level the playing field. He emphasised that budget control and fair distribution of funds are key to improving competition.
As the 2017 season approaches, Mercedes remain favourites, with Ferrari showing promise in pre-season testing. Horner acknowledged that Mercedes are still the team to beat, while Toto Wolff played down their advantage, calling their recent dominance an 'outlier'.
