Horner backs Brawn

22 June 2015 01:02

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has called for Formula One to turn to Ross Brawn in a bid to turn around it's flailing fortunes.

Although still regarded as the pinnacle of motorsport, F1 has been criticised for dull races, a lack of overtaking and an over-complicated rule book - which has seen television viewers switch off and crowds keep away.

Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, hosted at the circuit belonging to Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, saw a 40 per cent drop on attendance from last season and it has been a similar story in most race weekends this year.

The race was won by Mercedes' Nico Rosbeg, with Mateschitz out-spoken at his home race - claiming the inferior engine unit supplied by Renault has seen him lose his enjoyment and motivation to remain in F1.

Horner has also hit out at Renault and the current state of the sport and is a vocal critic of the strategy group which is in place to change the rules and regulations to create a more exciting product.

Instead he wants to see someone like Brawn, who helped deliver world championships at Bennetton and Ferrari before leading his own eponymous team to the drivers' and constructor crowns in 2009.

"I think the Strategy Group is fairly inept," said Horner.

"I keep saying it and I will repeat it again now: It is the commercial rights holder and the governing body to decide what F1 should be and then put it on the table to the teams and say 'this is what we want the product to be, these are the rules, this is the entry form.

"Maybe you need an independent observer, someone not involved? someone like Ross Brawn that understands the challenges and knows the business to write a specification for what a car or technical regulations should be."

Formula One's ruler Bernie Ecclestone has said he believes Red Bull, who dominated the sport for four years before the new regulations came into force last year, are threatening to leave and warring with Renault because they are no longer winning.

With the Red Bull and Renault relationship strained, the team were offered engines by Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne, but Horner rejected the speculative comments out of hand.

"First of all, we have a contract with Renault, so there is no decision to make," he added.

"Sergio generously offered us his engine, but I suppose he did not disclose to you the terms on which he offers them."

Source: PA