Horner admits 'danger' of new teams' slow debuts

Bosses of the top outfits McLaren and Red Bull have issued differing views about the influx of small new teams in Formula One.

After Ferrari issued a scathing denunciation of Virgin, Lotus and HRT, McLaren's managing director Jonathan Neale on Tuesday called on the sport to support its newcomers.

"We have to try and get new teams off the ground and stabilise them as quickly as possible because we need it in view of the disappointing (team) losses," he said.

But Neale did express some concern about the Spanish outfit HRT, whose rookie lineup Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok will give the 2010 car its track debut on Friday.

"I'm sure that the FIA will look very closely at it and if there are big gaps in closing speeds and plenty of red flags, then they'll take the necessary actions," he said.

Former McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen, who has switched for 2010 to Lotus, said it is "great to hear" his ex team is supportive.

However, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was less diplomatic than Neale.

"We will just try to stay out of their way," he is quoted as saying by the Times. "The danger is the time difference is going to be so big - up to five seconds a lap - and the difference in the closing speeds is massive.

"The potential for them to cause an incident is reasonably high," added Horner.

Timo Glock, who last year raced for Toyota but has switched to Virgin, said the criticisms do not concern him.

"I don't care," he told the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper.

"I think that for the fans and for Formula One, it is a good thing if new teams can come in," Glock added.