Team game would have been wrong ‘this weekend’ – Horner

Christian Horner has left open the possibility of a position switch in Abu Dhabi next weekend, if it means a Red Bull driver wins the drivers’ title.

Had Mark Webber been ushered past his teammate Sebastian Vettel at Interlagos, the Australian would now be just one point behind Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso with one race to go.

Instead, with Vettel at the top of the podium but still 15 points behind, Webber’s gap is eight.

But if Vettel is once again running ahead of Webber in Abu Dhabi next Sunday, and that result would mean Red Bull misses out on the drivers’ title, it seems clear that a team strategy will be deployed.

Briton Horner would not answer the question directly in Brazil, but he did tell German Sky television: “It would have been wrong, this weekend, to interrupt a driver still with a chance to win the world championship.”

The implication is that the mathematics will speak for themselves in the finale.

Until then, Alonso has the advantage, because – no matter the positions of the Red Bull drivers – he only needs to finish second next Sunday to secure his third world title.

Vettel was coy about whether he is open to a team game in Abu Dhabi.

“In a week we’ll know,” he said.

 © RIF | GMM