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F1 Russian GP: Horner: Bernie is going to say ‘I told you so…’

Christian Horner has joked that Bernie Ecclestone will take credit for the move to shake up the tyre strategies for the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship following a successful application of the revised regulation in the opening three rounds of the season.

New for 2016, Pirelli is now offering three compounds per race weekend with the allocation chosen weeks in advance in an effort to give teams alternative options to shake up their strategies.

Though Pirelli itself expected teams to opt for similar choices regardless, the opening rounds have seen teams vary greatly in their options, with Nico Rosberg winning the most recent Chinese Grand Prix without using the softest tyre available.

With a mammoth 66 pit-stops taking place in Shanghai, it is a regulation that appeases Ecclestone's wish for more variance between the cars during the race, while fans have praised the increased overtaking it prompts as alternative strategies play out over the entire race.

Though Red Bull team principal Horner tips strategies will eventually converge as teams understand the tyres better in the coming races, he feels it has been a positive advancement for F1, even if it means F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone will ultimately take credit.

"I think [it has been a success] because it's mixed up the strategies a bit," he said. "Teams are coming into the weekend with different allocations. Whether or not that'll converge as things go we'll see. Certainly for the first three races.

"I think it's going to be fascinating to see over the few races what route people have chosen. To see Rosberg take a different route in China - that worked for them today but it might not work for them at other events so... I think that's the biggest positive.

"I think the manual start is a good thing so you're getting a bit more variants in the starts. But definitely when the pack gets moved around a little, you can envisage Bernie saying "I told you so" at the next strategy meeting when you put fast cars down the field it inevitably produces good racing."

Zdroj: crash.net