Horner frustrated as McLaren finger-pointing continues

Christian Horner expressed frustration as the latest flexible wing saga spilled into the Sepang paddock.

Told that, elsewhere in the paddock ahead of the Malaysian grand prix, Lewis Hamilton has once again been talking about Red Bull’s front wing, Horner exclaimed: “He’s done it again today?  Oh Christ!”

But while most others issued a ‘no comment’, Hamilton’s McLaren teammate Jenson Button was also talking about the wing, and how it passes the FIA legality checks but is so obviously lower to the ground at speed than the others in the field.

“A few people that I have spoken to say it flexes more than what they expect is correct,” said Button.

Hamilton told reporters: “Ours always has that big gap (to the ground).  Theirs is on the ground!”

Red Bull team boss Horner admitted he is tiring of the McLaren finger-pointing.

“We don’t have to pass a McLaren test, we have to pass an FIA one, and it complies fully with that,” he said.

Pressed for more information, the Briton took a reporter’s notebook and explained the “obvious science” about the Red Bull wing looking lower because the rear ride-height of the McLaren is lower.

“It will look lower to the ground because the rake in the (RB7) car is higher.  It is simple mathematics,” he added.

Melbourne winner Sebastian Vettel said he was surprised when he noticed the latest controversy about flexible wings emerging in the media last week.

“I had to check the date and see if it was 2010 or 2011, what I was reading,” said the German.  “I thought we had left that behind.”

© RIF | GMM