WOLFF’S SHOT AT HORNER
Fighting talk from Toto
MERCEDES chief Toto Wolff says the gloves are off in Lewis Hamilton’s title battle with Max Verstappen.
The Red Bull charger has escaped punishment for his aggressive driving at last Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix, that forced Hamilton off the track while trying to overtake.
Hamilton recovered to record a memorable win after starting 10th on the grid to cut Verstappen’s championship lead to 14 points.
But Wolff, below, clearly feels the FIA’s decision to throw out Mercedes appeal to review the flashpoint at Interlagos means anything goes in the remaining three races – starting in Qatar this weekend.
“Olympic boxing went to pro boxing and is now MMA,” said Wolff as he discussed the growing battle between F1’s top two teams.
“But that is OK, we are in the ring now trying to do the best job possible. Elbows are allowed now because the rules say so and the gloves are off.”
The news about Verstappen’s let-off broke as Wolff and his Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner engaged in some verbal sparring during yesterday’s press conference.
“It is completely expected,” said Wollf. “We wanted to trigger a discussion around it because it will probably be a theme in the next few races.We didn’t really think it would go any further. You fight for every point, we don’t expect to gain anything to be honest, from the right of review, it is more about the principle and philosophy.”
But Horner hit back, saying: “[It is] Obviously the right decision as it would open Pandora’s Box on other decisions that happened at that race.”
There has been plenty of bad blood between Wolff and Horner as the two look to mastermind title-winning seasons for their respective teams – but it ramped up a gear in the Gulf as Horner revealed the pair do not get on. “There is no relationship, there is competition,” he said. “Relationships and respect are different things, there is respect for everything Mercedes have done, everything Lewis Hamilton has done.
“I don’t need to go to dinner with Toto, I don’t need to kiss his a*** or anything like that. It is a competition.”
Valterri Bottas put his Mercedes on the top of the pile in second practice, ahead of Pierre Gasly’s Alpha Tauri, with Verstappen third and Hamilton fourth. But there was less than a second separating the fastest 14 drivers.