Red Bull's Reaction Proves Once and For-All That It Is Max Verstappen's Team

In the aftermath of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's first lap crash, both Helmut Marko and Christian Horner came out with some pretty outrageous statements. Horner suggested great drivers know better than to try to overtake into Copse (more on that later). His fellow team owner, Helmut Marko suggested that Hamilton be removed from the subsequent race entirely. Not only are those interpretations totally out of the rules of the sport, but it doesn't remotely match the reactions for crashes from former drivers. 

If you were around to remember it, Mark Webber's 2010 sky-high accident was one of the most spectacular the sport has ever seen. 

Here's the video in case you haven't seen it:

What did Horner say following this massive shunt for his driver. Here's an excerpt:

"At that point of time, all you can really think about is your driver's safety. Both drivers ended up having reasonably-sized accidents, Mark's being the far more spectacular. We were just relieved to see him get out of the car unaided and without injury, and it's testimony to the regulations, to the design of the car, to the strength of the car, that he's managed to be sitting in a grand prix car this weekend.

"I think it's wrong to place fault at Heikki. Mark was in a situation where he knew he had to pass and I think that the closing speed at that point was just so phenomenal, it just took him completely by surprise. It was one of those things, but there's no point of Tony and I getting excited about it, just relief that certainly our driver was okay."

Full Quote: Horner's Comments Post-Webber Crash

When it comes to comparisons, that last sentence sticks out like a sore thumb. Beyond the fact that Webber could have been seriously injured in that full-frontal flip, his concern for Heikki's role shows a sober reflection totally absent in his adjudication of the Verstappen crash. 

Red Bull has long been accused of favoring drivers. It's a concern they've largely held tightly since 2011. But when it comes to Verstappen, they'll got extra lengths to keep him happy. It's obvious that the knowledge that Verstappen would be angry fully convinced Horner and Marko to push for his side of the story. Their reactions mirrored more of his perspective than what they'd both been known for over the past 12 years. (Since Red Bull has had a World Championship caliber car)

There's more to it than that. Mercedes and Red Bull are locked in a battle at the front for their first world championship in what would be seven years. They're not as dominant as they once were. Every point counts. But you do have to wonder, if it were Perez who crashed, and Max at the rear of the points-paying positions. How differently would their reactions be?

Finally, here's some much-missed out on clips of Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull, and Max Verstappen both involved in high-profile overtakes into Copse:

2018 British Grand Prix:

Link to Max Verstappen/Kimi Raikkonen in 2018

2017 British Grand Prix:

Link to Daniel Ricciardo/Kevin Magnussen in 2017

Just to highlight how drivers of all teams have consistently overtaken here:

2018 British Grand Prix:

Here's Kimi Doing It In 2018

Horner's comments were widely reported on as being explicitly critical of trying a move there. 

Phillip Horton's Reporting on the Subject

Overall, it seems this incident has further exposed Red Bull's desire to keep Verstappen happy. It seems more likely as he enters his first ever title fight, that this attitude around his protection will only increase. Further information will be included in future articles. 

Thank you for reading!