Autosportfoto

Red Bull F1 boss Horner wants grid clarity after Vettel ploy

Red Bull boss Christian Horner wants clarity from the FIA over Formula 1 grid positioning rules after Sebastian Vettel lined up outside his box for the start of the Chinese Grand Prix.

Vettel positioned his car slightly to the left of his front row grid slot at Shanghai in order to get his wheels away from the slippery white painted lines.

Although his placing was noted and examined by the FIA stewards, the officials ruled no further action was warranted.

F1's sporting regulations do not actually state that a driver must form up exactly within the white lines of their grid box - only that "they will stop within their respective grid positions" after the formation lap.

"It is obvious what he was trying to do - to get towards the drier part of the track, which you can understand," said Horner about Vettel's grid position.

"But it would be good to have clarity on does the driver have to start in his grid box or not? Is it just a line or is it is a box?

"I remember it being discussed [after Japan last year]. He got no advantage from it, but it would be good to have clarity."

At last year's Japanese GP, Horner's driver Daniel Ricciardo was given permission by the FIA to start slightly out of his grid box because it was wet.

This caused minor controversy at the time because Lewis Hamilton claimed that a similar request from Mercedes had been turned down.

The FIA has so far suggested that 'common sense' is the main factor in what is and is not allowed regarding grid positioning.

Zdroj: autosport.com