Horner wants 'dangerous' T-wings banned after practice mishap

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Red Bull Racing's Christian Horner is calling on F1 to ban the T-wing aerodynamic device which has appeared on several cars this season.

The T-wing works in tandem with the ubiquitous dorsal fin which the new-spec F1 cars have integrated into their aero profile in 2017.

During FP2, Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes lost the small device which broke off exactly as it did in China a week ago, except that this time it hit Max Verstappen's charging Red Bull, extensively damaging the RB13's floor.

The incident has prompted Horner to ask the FIA to take action and ban the component unreliable component o the grounds of safety.

"It cost us a few quid today... ," said Horner after FP2.

"Several thousand pounds and a lot of downtime. I think they should be absolutely banned, get rid of them, illegal, dangerous, all of those things!

"Charlie [Whiting]'s got that lovely cop-out of 'grounds of safety', so if he wanted to use it he could do."

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The possibility of a detached and airborne T-wing hitting a driver is obviously a chilling prospect, although Horner has been advocating its removal - along with the 'shark fin' - ever since pre-season got underway at the end of February.

"And before that! I think unfortunately what's happened has happened. I don't think they're going to be banned on that. I don't think Charlie's got that strong an appetite to get rid of them this season.

"It's not just Bottas, we've seen the issue with the Haas and so on. People think it's just sour grapes because we're not running one but it's not that, it does need looking at properly."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.