Total war between Red Bull and Mercedes: “I don’t need to kiss Toto’s ass”

  • The bosses of both teams star in a tense press conference in Qatar after the FIA ​​refused to sanction Verstappen for his action in Brazil

  • Horner positively values ​​the decision of the curators: “The opposite would open Pandora’s box”

There are three grand prizes left until the end of the F1 World Cup and the atmosphere is unbreathable between Mercedes y Red Bull. The impressive pulse that they are settling Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton It has been peppered with various incidents, on and off the track. The controversy with the FIA ​​and race director Michael Masi reached its peak in Brazil. “When decisions always go against you and you see that they are harming you, it is to get angry. Diplomacy is over,” warned the head of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, after Hamilton made him jump out of his seat in Sao Paulo with a victory that was more than that. A blow on the table after a weekend of sanctions and tension, when many already gave them up for dead in the championship.

Not content with winning, in Mercedes they decided to appeal the questionable Verstappen maneuver on lap 48, when the Red Bull man avoided a first overtaking attempt by Hamilton and braked late, forcing both of them off the track. Based on the new images from the onboard camera of Max’s car, the Brackley men availed themselves of their right to review the incident. “It is unnecessary and shows his true nature,” the Dutchman told his country’s press. Hamilton tried to throw balls out: “I’m not behind that claim, but I totally support my team.”

This Friday in Qatar, the FIA ​​has said enough and has rejected Mercedes’ request. The curators allege that the new images provided are “relevant but not significant enough” to change Brazil’s result, thus sparing Verstappen a penalty that would undoubtedly have further clouded the atmosphere in the ‘paddock’ and maintains his advantage. with Hamilton (14 points) in the World Cup.

Maximum tension

The decision of the FIA ​​was known during the press conference of the team leaders, in which Toto Wolff and his namesake at Red Bull were present, Christian Horner, who have raised the tension to the maximum during their appearance. “We knew this was going nowhere, but we wanted to initiate a discussion around that action and that objective has been achieved “, has acknowledged Wolff. For his part, Horner has indicated that” obviously have made the right decision, otherwise the Pandora’s box would have been opened“.

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The tone has increased when the English has returned to put the focus on the ‘suspicious’ top speed of the Mercedes W12 in Brazil: “You already heard Toto on the radio after the sprint (” Lewis, screw them, “he said). It is the first time they have a rival, it is interesting to see how people react under pressure. We are facing the political struggle most intense sport in recent years. Our car meets the standard. Do we have doubts about Mercedes’ gain on the straights in recent races? Definitely. Do we expect the FIA ​​to keep an eye on it? We totally trust the FIA. We want to make sure that in these last races the cars are scrupulously watched. Two teams and two drivers are fighting for the biggest prize in this sport and you want to make sure that the playing field is balanced, “said Horner.” We respect everything that Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton have done, but I don’t need to go to dinner with Toto or kiss his ass like other team leaders“.

Wolff has jumped at his neck: “I think that nobody would stand on the track with an illegal motor or car. You’d be crazy if you did. On the tensions between teams, there are a lot of good people working at Red Bull and Mercedes and it’s a great fight. There is respect for the capabilities that Red Bull has. It’s tough because it’s the World Cup. Before it was Olympic boxing, then professional and now it is wrestling. But it’s okay, we’re in the ring fighting, “replied the Austrian. And it is already known that when it comes to wrestling, there are no valid rules.



Reference-www.elperiodico.com

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