Horner responds to Russell claims: 'Mercedes knows that only too well'

After the Australian Grand Prix, George Russell suggested that Red Bull Racing are deliberately holding back to avoid FIA intervention. Christian Horner responded to the allegations by the Mercedes driver, whose team, he said, "knows very well what it is like" to be ahead of the rest.

Horner answers Russell

Max Verstappen managed to take victory at the Albert Park circuit for the first time in his Formula 1 career, but did so at a less dizzying pace than Red Bull managed in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia (Perez was victorious). This prompted Russell to suggest that Red Bull are holding something back in order to prevent the FIA from taking action.

Horner, for his part, sees the irony in this, according to Crash.net. "That's very generous of him. He’d know too well from his team about those kinds of advantages," the Red Bull team boss hit back. In doing so, he echoed the words of Verstappen, who also dismissed Russell's claim.

According to the 49-year-old Brit, Red Bull's slower pace had everything to do with tyre management. "There’s always an element of management that goes on in any race. Because it was a one-stop race and a very early one-stop race, of course there was an element of tyre management going on," Horner concluded.