Other than Renault's failure to raise its game, Christian Horner claims that Mercedes' domination is a turn-off for fans.

Though the Austrian team wasn't expecting to take the fight to Mercedes today, it clearly expected better than to see one car fail to make it to the start and the other finish a distant sixth, and even then courtesy of a performance that owed more to the driver than the package given him.

Clearly frustrated, Christian Horner wasted no time in pointing the finger.

"It's been a very tough weekend for Renault," he told reporters. However, before anyone might get the impression that he was about to lavish sympathy on the French manufacturer with which his team has enjoyed so much success, he quickly added. "The engine is just quite undriveable. You can see and hear that from the comments the drivers are making, you're not able to drive the car properly.

"It's frustrating that we're effectively even further back than we were in Abu Dhabi in both power and driveability," he continued. "Ferrari has made a good step. Renault, at this stage, appear to have made a retrograde step.

"It's important that we re-group with Renault and try and offer our support where we can," he added, "because they're obviously in a bit of a mess at the moment."

However, Renault wasn't the only manufacturer in the Briton's line of fire, following a dominant performance from Mercedes Horner believes the German team's obvious superiority will damage the sport. In an outburst that brought the words 'toys' and ‘pram' to mind he even hinted at conspiracies… surely the ultimate recourse for the desperate team principal.

"When we were winning, and we were never winning with an advantage that Mercedes has, double diffusers were banned, exhausts were moved, flexible bodywork was banned, engine mapping was changed mid-season, anything was done to pull us back," he said. "That was not just us, it was done to McLaren and Williams in other years.

"Is it healthy to have a situation like this?" he continued. "The FIA, within the rules, have an equalisation mechanism and that needs to be looked at," he demanded.

"I take nothing from Mercedes, they have done a super job. They have a good car, a fantastic engine and two very good drivers. The problem is however, that the gap is so big that you end up with three-tier racing and that is not healthy for F1.

"I fear the interest will wane," he warned. "I didn't see much of Mercedes on the television and I can only imagine that it isn't interesting watching a procession so the producer was looking for other battles going on in the race, except there weren't that many cars to look at. The highlight for me was Arnie Schwarzenegger on the podium."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by John VFR, 16/03/2015 11:50

"And another boring German winning four championships amidst talk of cheating wasn't a "turn-off" Mr Horner?
If you can't dominate,stop whining,get on with it and compete."

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2. Posted by karel, 16/03/2015 10:34

"Mr Horner is forgetting the year that Redbull was on a doubtfull course in winning championships.
But there is some truth in the story. For the first time in year in didn't come out of bed to watch the season start. Why ? Clearly Mercedes is still miles ahead. It doesn't excite anymore. F1 is killed by regulations and changes, so why bother. It's a big money game with no place for the sport, feeding a f ew mouths.
Personally I don't wanna be part of that. Bring back the real racing sport and I'll be back, in the meanwhile let's watch out for the TT race on Man.
"

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3. Posted by Darvi, 16/03/2015 8:00

"Mr Horner is conveniently overlooking the fact that everything that he mentioned as being reined in by the FIA were exploiting hokes ib the regulations. For example, flexible bodywork was outlawed, however Red Bull managed to find a way to comply with the tests that were being used while still benefitting from the aero surfaces deforming illegally. So the FIA changed the tests, twice, but sure this was just to prevent Red Bull cheating?

Red Bull out to take a look at how Williams responded to being off the pace, i.e. with intelligent decisions and changes to their engineering team."

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4. Posted by CL, 16/03/2015 6:33

"Or one thing about their car that gives them the cornering advantage that no one else has? I'm not sure what he is asking for here."

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5. Posted by CL, 16/03/2015 6:22

"All of the other examples he gave could be said to be about cost saving, removing the need for other teams to spend lots of money to catch up. The engine thing is about rules that already exist that he wants to loosen to let him catch up, it is he saying there is some new-fangled thing about the Merc engine? I don't get it."

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6. Posted by Martin B, 16/03/2015 1:02

"There is only one thing that Christian said correctly, and that is that Arnie was the most entertaining part of the "show". Let's hope that Malaysia is better. "

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7. Posted by Joop deBruin, 15/03/2015 23:49

"Looking at the facts from a neutral perspective, he's right. When first Brawn, then Red Bull figured out ways to advantage through aero, the FIA moved quickly to halt the advantages. Now the FIA plays the game of "only minimal improvements lads!" with the powerplants.

He's obviously honked off, and said to much in anger, but the root message he delivered is extremely correct."

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8. Posted by Yeyox02, 15/03/2015 21:14

"And it was not a turn-off for fans when RB was so dominant Mr Horner? Indeed it was realy boring because Vettel was de only guy in front with no challenge from his teammate. At least today we have Hamilton and Rosberg battling, let say, in the same second with Ferrari and Williams looming on the horizon.
If RB want to quit F1 then: Goodbye, adiós , sayonara, ciao, adieu, auf widersehen. Mercedes has nothing to do with Renault´s woes. Simply Mercedes did their task while Renault do not and it seems that Honda did not neither. "

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9. Posted by gturner38, 15/03/2015 21:14

"So when it was clear in 2013 that the solution to the Pirelli tyre failures was going to be to revert to tyres that gave Red Bull a huge advantage, I'm sure Horner was dead set against the change. After all, the whole problem could have been fixed by the teams, including Red Bull, running the tyres within the parameters they were designed for. "

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10. Posted by Hondawho?, 15/03/2015 20:12

"I have the greatest respect for Chirstian Horner and the red Bull team, but this comment does not really do him any favours as has already been said on this post. Just get on with it Christian (I noticed Mr Newey was on the pit wall, I thought he was going into retirement!) and wave the magic again and all will be well, assuming you can get Renault to build an engine and system that works!"

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11. Posted by JackTheCat, 15/03/2015 19:46

"He has to be doing tis for a joke. Vettel won 9 races in a row in his car and he didn't call it boring then did he? The ****ing ****!"

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12. Posted by Peter Rickitt, 15/03/2015 19:37

" What a prat !
Horner's hypocrisy after Red Bull's boring domination of recent years, augmented by Vettel's 'bad loser' behaviour, Marko's self-important teutonism and Mateschitz's self-serving cronyism with Ecclestone, clearly make him eminently suitable to preside over the continuing demise of F1 as having any pretension as a 'sport' or any relevance as its being a scion of integrity with which any manufacturer should be associated.
Ecclestone , having bested the FIA, passed the ' parcel 'for billions to CVC, who have been well rewarded for their 'gamble', who now, correctly for their investors' conditions of backing, now wish to pass the 'parcel' on - back to Ecclestone ? Or to Mateschitz (or one of his cronies), who can then frame the rules, as Horner would wish, to suit.
Over six decades ago, F! tore up its rules and became temporarily F2 to ensure the 'parcel' endured: it did.
It is time to destroy today's parcel - and rid ourselves of the likes of Horner.

It is, of course, unlikely, to say the least - but 'perchance to dream' ?"

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13. Posted by ARL, 15/03/2015 18:56

"Petulant little bleeder ain't he, and we haven't even covered the alleged threat to quit F1 if the rules are not changed to suit Red Bull. Takes a brass neck to whine about rules being "clarified" to stop some of Red Bull's creative attitudes to rules and their meanings over the last few years! Torro Rosso don't seem to be whining to the same degree about their engines - perhaps they could pass some packaging tips to the other bulls. "

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