Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner supports Lewis Hamilton’s defiance of orders from his Mercedes team to let team-mate Nico Rosberg through during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Mercedes were caught in unfamiliar territory on race day in Hungary with Hamilton and Rosberg chasing rather than leading the pack and found themselves on the same piece of tarmac but on different strategies, with the latter needing to make an extra pit-stop.
The team thought it would be wise to order Hamilton to allow the faster Rosberg to pass so to allow the German to run at his own pace before pitting.
Horner, who has enough experience giving out team orders during Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber’s tumultuous tenure as team-mates, was weary of the circumstances Hamilton was put under and the hardship involved in having a drivers and constructors championship to think about.
“Inevitably it is very difficult, because you have the objective of the team and the objective of the drivers,” said Horner, who saw his driver Daniel Ricciardo storm to his 2nd career win.
“The interesting thing at Mercedes this year is that because they have such an advantage they let their drivers race, and they are not under threat in the constructors championship.
“You can understand Lewis. He is fighting Nico and if he lets him run his fastest strategy, it puts him under pressure. So it is entirely understandable from Lewis’ point of view to say ‘not today thanks'”.
Horner suggested also that Mercedes’ decision to impose team orders conflicted their outspoken nature earlier in the season on allowing their drivers to race without intervention.
“They have let the guys race openly this year, so it is strange when they are racing again to let one run their fastest strategy,” Horner added.
