"It’s important for the sport for there to be harmony": Red Bull boss weighs in on the ongoing F1 vs FIA dispute

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner mentioned that it was important for the sport to have harmony between F1 and FIA amidst their ongoing power struggle.

FIA, the governing body of motorsport, is responsible for overseeing the regulations and safety of the sport. At the same time, Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, is responsible for expanding the sport and making it more lucrative.

However, recently, FIA has been involving itself in the matters of F1, causing tension between the two governing bodies. Earlier in the 2023 season, the governing body was on the firing line for approving Andretti's bid with F1, and all the teams did not favor having an 11th team on the grid.

Speaking to the media including PlanetF1, Christain Horner weighed in on the dispute and said:

“I think that’s their business. I think we’re just the teams, we race against a set of regulations and we get paid on where we finish. And that’s the roles that the two functions perform. But obviously, it’s important for the sport for there to be harmony between the two organizing bodies.”

Red Bull team boss denies reporting rival Mercedes to the FIA

FIA recently opened an investigation against Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and his wife Susie Wolff, head of F1 Academy for sharing confidential information amongst themselves.

The governing announced that they would investigate the pair's conduct and referred the case to their compliance department. All 10 F1 teams put on a united front and claimed that they did not raise the complaint about the pair to the FIA.

Speaking with Sky Sports, Horner defended his team and spoke about their role in the advancement of the F1 Academy, saying:

"We have a big rivalry [with Mercedes] on track but we haven't raised any official complaint either about Susie or Toto or Mercedes to the FIA. In fact, we have been the team that has gotten most involved with F1 Academy since its inception, to the point that between the two Red Bull-owned teams, we'll be entering three cars in 2024. So we've been working closely with Susie, who's been doing a great job on F1 Academy.

He concluded that he was "surprised" by FIA's statement and claimed that Red Bull teams did not raise the complaint, adding:

"So I think we, like others, were quite surprised by the statement that came out last night, but it certainly wasn't instigated or required or set off by Red Bull."

"We've not raised any official complaint or made any requests to the FIA or to FOM. As far as the other teams, I can't talk on behalf of others. This is an FIA thing, they've taken this action, but as I say, certainly nothing to do with Red Bull."