Horner joins criticism of FIA: 'Restart at the end was frustrating'

The chaos of the Australian Grand Prix did not hurt Red Bull Racing, although Max Verstappen had to fend off an attack by Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez managed to come back from last place to P5 in an impressive catch-up race. Plenty of cause for satisfaction for team boss Christian Horner.

Horner speaks of a "complicated race" that consisted of three parts. "The first start didn’t go our way but in the restart Max was able to hold position, battle Lewis for the lead and really control the race from there," the 49-year-old Briton said in a Red Bull Racing press release.

Horner also critical of FIA

He joins Verstappen and Helmut Marko in criticising race control, which was responsible for a chaotic restart in the closing stages of the race. "While the marshals are always acting in the interest of safety, and driver safety is paramount, the restart at the end of the race was a little frustrating. Thankfully, it didn’t cost us anything, we had great pace with the car and Max was on great form," Horner noted.

"For Max to claim the victory was testament to his driving, but equally, credit must go to the Team both here and at home, all of whom worked together to deliver a great race. Checo also drove phenomenally well, bringing home the fastest lap and securing P5 in the end. It was a great recovery, from the back of the grid, in the pits, on a track where it is very difficult to overtake," he praised both his drivers. "All in all we are very happy with our performance and thrilled to bring home a win on our 350th race at a track we haven’t won at in 10 years."