Total Earthquake in F1 TODAY as Christian Horner express

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has publicly expressed dissatisfaction on the FIA’s decision-making following a turbulent Spanish Grand Prix that left his team under heavy scrutiny. The controversy centers around a heated clash between Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell, which unfolded after a highly contentious call from Red Bull’s pit wall and some eyebrow-raising officiating by race stewards.

During the race in Barcelona, Verstappen was ordered by his own team to relinquish fourth place to Russell following a marginal incident that drew the attention of the race officials. The team’s directive raised immediate eyebrows, as many in the paddock questioned the necessity of the move—especially given Verstappen’s assertive style and the ambiguous nature of the contact. The decision to cede the position back, seen by some as a sign of over-cautiousness from Red Bull, didn’t sit well with Horner or many within the F1 community.

But the drama didn’t stop there. As the safety car bunched the field, Red Bull opted to put Verstappen on the hard C1 tyres—a compound that had already proven troublesome for several drivers over the weekend due to its lack of grip and slow warm-up. The strategy misfire left Verstappen unable to properly defend or attack during the crucial restart, a situation that quickly escalated into frustration.

That frustration boiled over in spectacular fashion. Verstappen, visibly furious with his car’s lack of pace and the events leading up to that moment, appeared to make deliberate contact with Russell’s car. The stewards quickly penalized the Dutchman with a 10-second time penalty and slapped him with three penalty points on his super license. The fallout from the incident not only affected Verstappen’s result in the race but also put a serious dent in his championship campaign.

To make matters worse, Red Bull’s post-race analysis was missing its most important voice. According to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, Verstappen’s anger was so intense that he opted to skip the team’s post-race debrief entirely. The Dutch driver’s absence meant the team couldn’t fully dissect what had gone wrong, both with the RB21’s performance and the decision-making on the pit wall.

Horner didn’t hold back when asked about the incident. He suggested that both the FIA stewards and race director should face scrutiny for inconsistent officiating, which he believes contributed to the chaos. Meanwhile, the internal backlash over strategy calls has sparked debate within Red Bull’s own ranks, signaling possible tension behind the scenes.

With the championship battle heating up and mistakes becoming increasingly costly, Red Bull will need to regroup fast. For now, though, the spotlight remains on the aftermath of a weekend that left more questions than answers—and a championship leader clearly at odds with his team and the officials.