Horner dismisses critics of Liberty's slow call to action

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Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner has labeled as 'unfair' suggestions that Liberty Media is not acting fast enough to change Formula 1 following its takeover of the sport earlier this year.

Liberty Media closed its $8 billion deal to acquire F1 back in January, and while there has been no shortage of ideas from its management since it took over the reins from Bernie Ecclestone, some believe transformation is not happening fast enough.

F1 sporting manager Ross Brawn is in the final stages of defining the sport's future engine platform while commercial boss Sean Bratches is working to enhance the race weekend spectacle and package.

"I think that’s unfair," Horner said, referring to the criticism of Liberty's slow call to action.

"They’ve only run the sport for nine months. I think they’ve been doing an awful lot of work behind the scenes.

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"I think that rather than shooting from the hip they’ve put a group in place, under Ross Brawn, that is analysing the issues within the sport to make formed decisions.

"I think we’ll start to see what their plans for the future are once we head into the winter months, and I think what they’ve done at the moment, being commendable in many ways, in terms of opening it up, social channels, making things more accessible.

"But that’s window-dressing. In terms of dealing with the product, that’s the fundamental issue.

"That’s where Ross and his team have got a key role to play, as to what are the chassis and engine, and sporting and technical regulations are going to be for the future."

Ross Brawn should divulge in the coming weeks the result of his many months of work on defining the power unit of the future.

The consensus among the pundits is that F1 will preserve its hybrid and high-tech approach while putting the emphasis on cost reduction, which should entail a form of simplification.

Horner insists F1's sporting and technical agenda takes precedence over its commercial future.

"That'll get addressed later on. First of all, deal with the sporting, technical and cost side and then I think the commercial side will be a later discussion," Horner said.

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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.