• British Grand Prix - Qualifying

'We have to make difficult decisions' - Horner

Cracks appear inside Red Bull © Sutton Images

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• Race:
• British Grand Prix

• Championship:
• FIA Formula One World Championship

• Drivers:
• Sebastian Vettel
• |
• Mark Webber

• Teams:
• Red Bull

Red Bull boss Christian Horner denied suggestions Mark Webber is being regarded as the team's second driver after a decision was made to take a new front wing design off Webber's car before qualifying and hand it to Sebastian Vettel after his own was damaged in the final free practice session.

Vettel took pole, and although Webber was second there was no disguising his simmering anger. "I would rather be third on the grid probably, we know second on the grid at most sides is shit," he snapped at the press conference.

Horner said the team had to favour the person leading the championship, but dismissed suggestions this set the tone for the season. "I think that you could see today that the performance today between the guys was very, very close and very, very tight," he said. "Unfortunately sometimes I have to make a difficult decision, and with only one wing available and the facts to hand that we had, and based on championship position, which was the criteria that we used, that wing went to Sebastian today.

"If we were favouring one driver we would give that driver a spare wing as well. We would not run with having two available to one driver. We will continue to support both drivers in the best and absolute fairest way that we can. But on some occasions you have to make a difficult decision, and today was one of those instances."

"Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions. It is the first time we have been in a situation where we have only had one component, and I am sure that happens up and down the pit lane.

"Obviously when you have two drivers running at the front, there is perhaps a bit more emotion attached to it. But if you take away the emotion and you look at the facts, it was an entirely logical thing to do."

When asked directly if he had sympathy for Webber, Horner said: "I don't think he was stitched up at all. It is a difficult situation where we haven't got two components. If I'd have given it to Mark you've the same situation in reverse.

"Mark knows the way we operate as a team. He knows that with that decision there was no malice behind it. There was no manipulation."

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