Horner dismisses legality complaints

Although McLaren and Mercedes GP have approached the FIA to clarify the rules regarding flexible front wings, amid suspicions that Red Bull and Ferrari are running their endplates lower to the ground than other teams, Horner remains adamant that his team is doing nothing wrong.

Rather than get annoyed that his opposition is choosing to stir up doubts over legality, Horner thinks such moans are a price that every team pays for being ahead of the field.

"Inevitably when you have got a car that is quick, there are always fingers that are pointed at you," Horner told AUTOSPORT.

"So far the fingers have been pointed at many different components, but at the end of the day the regulations are clear. There are stringent tests that all teams have to comply with, and we are happy that our car satisfies those tests.

"We will take it as a compliment that so far this year there have been so many different components on our car that have come under scrutiny."

The flexi-wing row is the latest in a long line of technical rumbles that have run through the season - and include suspicions that Red Bull was running active ride, plus questions about other design aspects of its car, including suspension, camera mountings, diffuser and endplates edges

Horner said in the wake of fresh complaints from rival teams about his front wings, he expected the FIA to take another close look at his car - but was confident there would be no issue.

"They [the FIA] conduct tests at every event," he said. "They had a good look at the wing last week and I am sure they will have another good look at it here. They are the scrutineers and it is as simple as that."

Both McLaren and Mercedes have approached the FIA to seek an answer as to what they are allowed to do to their cars to try and emulate the flexible front wing phenomenon seen on the Red Bull and Ferrari cars.

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn said: "I think observation of the videos and stills shows that Red Bull is the prime case, but Ferrari, partially, has managed to set their cars up to run the front wings a lot lower to the ground than perhaps ourselves or McLaren have been able to achieve.

"I think probably what we are asking is, before we all go off and have a massive development programme, is Charlie [Whiting, FIA race director] going to change the rules before we get there.

"When it is demonstrated to you, you look at all the ways that you can achieve it and I think for the latter part of this year, and next year, we will all be doing the same. We just want to make sure that Charlie is comfortable with it and is not going to change the rules when we get there, because it will be an awful waste of effort."