Seidl tells Horner cost damages just 'part of the game'

Red Bull's Christian Horner has been vocal about the financial consequences of the damages sustained by his team lately, but McLaren boss Andreas Seidl says the expenditures are just "part of the game".

Horner's concerns were sparked by the hefty $1.8 million repair bill attached to Max Verstappen's RB16B following the Dutchman's high-profile run-in with Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap of the British Grand Prix.

But Horner's concern turned into outright annoyance in Hungary where both Red Bull drivers were involved in the Turn 1 mess - sparked by Mercedes Valtteri Bottas - although with a varying degree hindered car.

However, both McLaren cars were also injured in the incident, with the team forced to retire Lando Norris' MCL35M while Daniel Ricciardo endured a difficult afternoon at the wheel of a car severely hindered by its first lap damage.

Horner suggested that F1's budget cap should perhaps allow for exemptions, such as cost damages. But Seidl disagrees with his Red Bull counterpart, insisting that it's up to the teams to factor into their budgets a degree of impairment and to properly manage any collateral damage impact.

"I definitely will not go in the direction that Christian is going, mentioning every second sentence the cost cap and how much it will be hurt by it by an accident on track," said the McLaren team boss.

"In the end, it’s part of the game we’re in. It’s down to us to manage the budget in the right way.

"It will be a challenge to make sure now we have enough parts of the new specification available for Spa, but on the other hand, we have a great team back home in production and the engineering side, so I am confident we can recover from what happened.

"I don’t see that it affects anything of our plans, to be honest. It is quite simple and straightforward," added Seidl.

"At the beginning of the season, based on the experience of previous years, you simply have to account for certain crash damage per year.

"That’s what you have to figure in, and that’s what we have in the budget and that’s the challenge that we are in. It’s the same for everyone."

• Read also: Red Bull set to lose Perez's engine after Hungary carnage

Seidl obviously lamented the unfortunate events that unfolded at the Hungaroring and their consequences on McLaren's race. But the German vowed to move his team on.

"It’s just disappointing but at the same time you can’t do anything about it," he said.

"That disappointment doesn’t bring you anything. We just have to accept it, that these things can happen.

"We know that we have a strong car, we know we have a strong team and we have two strong drivers.

"With this combination we have everything in our hands to have a good second half of the season — that is what we are focusing on."

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