F1 | Mercedes team order, Horner: “I would have done the same, but it shouldn't have been a surprise”

Mercedes' team order in the Russian Grand Prix caused a big fuss. The Anglo/German team in fact forced Bottas to let Hamilton pass, but afterwards the Finnish driver would have expected the position to be returned with Vettel now out of contention for the victory, but this was not the case. It seemed to everyone that what Mercedes did had not been agreed upon with the drivers, especially with Bottas, who was dark-faced and visibly demoralized by the final result of the race. Chris Horner, team principal of Red Bull wanted to have his say, agreeing with what Mercedes did, much less on how the team handled the whole situation.

“From what I understand, Bottas didn't seem particularly happy – Chris Horner told Autosport. I think they should have discussed the scenarios before the race. It shouldn't have been a surprise. Formula 1 is a team sport, it's easy to forget this, but the drivers drive for a team. I just think that everything was not discussed before the race, but agreed during the race. In circumstances like that it takes two p***s and so, you're fighting for a world championship. It's a constant battle between a drivers' championship, the interests of the drivers themselves and the collective interest of the team, the basic logic is this, and it seems that that maneuver was not discussed in advance. Clearly this will have a negative effect on Bottas, but he knows very well what his role is this year, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that”.