F1 rival QUESTIONS Horner 'integrity'

The integrity of Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner has been called into question by a rival Formula 1 team boss.

Horner has been subject to increased media scrutiny this year, following an investigation into alleged misconduct against a female employee. Horner has since been cleared of any wrongdoing in the matter.

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In addition, Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s on-track dominance has started to be challenged as their rivals have quickened - most notably the McLaren of Lando Norris.

Since his maiden race victory in Miami, the Brit has been snapping at the heels of the champion, less than a second off Verstappen in Imola and fighting for race victories ever since.

Andrea Stella hits out at Horner after Austrian GP

However, the rivalry between Norris and Verstappen came to the fore at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the pair colliding after battling for the lead during the closing stages of the race.

Whilst Verstappen received a 10-second penalty for the incident, Horner insisted Norris was to blame.

In a recent interview, McLaren boss Andrea Stella responded to Horner’s comments, questioning the integrity of the rival team principal following his comments.

“I think this kind of statement is pretty irreceivable, I would say, and to some extent I think it speaks for the integrity of the person that said that,” Stella said to SiriusXM.

“In general, we have so much respect for Max,” he said. “What he is achieving is unbelievable — he is a great driver. There is no need to defend like this.

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“Sometimes you just have to accept that the car behind needs to have an opportunity, and I think that what would have happened if Lando had passed, then the next lap, with the DRS, Max would have gone for it, and it would have been an incredible spectacle.

“Which we missed, but hopefully we will be able to see in the future, with regulations that are enforced and both drivers fighting within the regulations.”

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