Christian Horner denies Red Bull have broken rules

Vettel stormed to victory in Melbourne (GETTY IMAGES)

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has again been forced to defend his team against accusations of potential rule breaking.

The new Formula One season is only a race old, but already Horner and his team are being scrutinised as to why they flew out of the traps in the opening race in Australia 11 days ago.

World champion Sebastian Vettel's cruise to victory at Melbourne's Albert Park was astonishing given the superiority the German held over the rest of the field, notably in qualifying.

Vettel finished 0.8secs clear of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, a gap virtually unheard of in F1 these days given how fine the margins are between the front-running teams.

That has resulted in some renewed questioning of the front wing on the Red Bull, a component that was rigorously investigated last season.

It is understood the wing flexes and runs lower to the ground under braking, affording the car greater stability and speed when cornering, and potentially could be worth more than half a second per lap.

The FIA even stiffened their regulations last season, putting Red Bull under considerable pressure, but the team passed all tests with flying colours.

Questioned on the issue again today, Horner, using a reporter's notebook to illustrate the point, said: "Shall I explain it in very basic words how it works?

"McLaren have developed a car that has a very low rear-ride height, and therefore a low front wing for them doesn't work.

"We run quite a high rake angle in our car. So inevitably when the rear of the car is higher, the front of the car is going to be lower to the ground.

"It is obvious science, and therefore our wing complies fully with the regulations. It will look lower to the ground because the rake in the car is higher, but it is simple mathematics."

Asked if he was frustrated by the ongoing review of the systems on his cars, Horner said: "We take it is a compliment to be honest with you.

"I think our front wing has been tested more than any other in the pit lane, and it complies with the regulations, which is what we have to do.

"We don't have to pass a McLaren test, we have to pass an FIA one, and it complies fully with that.

"McLaren have developed a car that is effectively a different philosophy to ours.

"So the benefit we see from the front wing is different to the one they would see, and that is the basis behind it fundamentally."