Running behind Lewis Hamilton by over 12 seconds, it was the safety car that changed Max Verstappen’s fate in 2021 in Abu Dhabi. Christian Horner and Toto Wolff and their squads stood more divided than ever. The yellow flag and a safety car were all that made the difference. If believed so, it was also a major factor in the Australian GP, or rather, its absence.

The red flag was brought out a whopping three times during Sunday’s run at Albert Park. Many were left unhappy, including the drivers, who were led by Max Verstappen. But on the contrary, his boss, Christian Horner, supported the call ahead of that of the yellow flag. To the fans and everyone else, the rare show of support appears to be ironic, given his support for the yellow flag in the case of the Abu Dhabi showdown. But Horner lent his support with extreme caution, as he tried to walk a thin line.

The Red Bull boss was quoted by Total Motorsport as saying, “It was the right thing to red flag it, there was a lot of debris on the track. Problem was it was only two laps to the end of the race, and so you’re always gonna get winners and losers out there. You can understand the rationale between wanting to finish under racing conditions, rather than cruising behind the safety car for three laps.”

He concluded by saying, “They might’ve been able to clear the circuit and get it going, I don’t know, But like all these things, there’s always something to learn.”

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Max Verstappen wants the issue of recurring red flags to be discussed during the next round in Baku. However, some drivers, including Fernando Alonso, despite showing their concern, trust the FIA, unlike a furious Carlos Sainz.

Christian Horner slams the sprint race 

Christian Horner is believed to be an unpredictable man. If he backs you in one instance, that doesn’t mean he will do so every single time. While he supported the red flag call during the Australian GP, he was quick to slam the decision taken to host the first sprint race of the season in Baku.

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Blasting the decision, as quoted by PlanetF1, he said, “The reality is it’s absolutely ludicrous to be doing the first sprint race of the year in a street race like Azerbaijan…From a cost cap perspective, all you can do is trash your car. And it costs a lot of money around there.”

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However, Horner also anticipates that the sprint races in Baku will be highly entertaining for both spectators and fans. What do you think of it? Is it the right call to hold sprint races on street circuits?