“The marshals do a great job. My frustration was not directed against them, but against the general circumstances, ”said the Red Bull team boss. “The anger related to one car not being shown a yellow flag, the next one and the third then two. It was just about the inconstancy. “
Nevertheless, Horner is officially warned by the FIA. In addition, he has to attend a training course for the stewards in February, as a kind of punishment. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff cannot resist the glee. “I don’t really want to comment on that. I just know that he was naughty … “
The verbal skirmishes between the two top team bosses always ensure the best entertainment in the World Cup duel. Horner’s counterattack is not long in coming: “At least I didn’t curse into the cameras or point my finger at anyone,” the Red Bull team boss alludes to Wolff’s outbursts of anger at the last race in Brazil.
The FIA gave Horner a pat on the fingers
Regardless of the verbal duel next to the piste: Mercedes is once again on top in terms of sport on Sunday. “The good news is: our car is in very good shape. I never stopped believing in it, ”said Wolff Mercedes’ increasing chances of the World Cup. “We were already very strong in Turkey, even if we then fell below expectations again in Austin and Mexico.”
Hamilton himself also thinks after the victory in Qatar: “I feel very happy with the car and fitter than ever. Otherwise I don’t have that much emotion at the moment, I’m just very motivated at the moment. But it’s great that we were able to gain so many points in the last two races. Now I’m really looking forward to the next two. “
His deficit in the World Cup has melted to eight points. Despite the latest trend, Hamilton warns of Red Bull: “You were quick here too, got back to the front very quickly in both cars and passed everyone else quite easily. So we still have a lot of work to do. “
World Championship opponent Max Verstappen admits: “We’re a little too slow, then of course it’s not easy in the race. We just have to stay focused now. You saw today how quickly something can happen. It remains a close fight and everything is possible. “
Verstappen doesn’t want to know anything about the political background noises of the World Cup duel: “The penalty didn’t surprise me. I already knew last night: I won’t get any presents from them (the race director; d. Editor). ”He also hides the anger about team boss Horner:“ Racing is not complicated. There is a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal and a steering wheel. We drivers already know what to do. And all of that is not really relevant to me. I just concentrate on my job. “
Red Bull advisor Marko defiantly adds: “Then we have to win in Saudi Arabia now, on a track that speaks completely against us.”
On the new high-speed circuit in Jeddah, Mercedes is the favorite – especially since sports director Wolff has already announced in terms of engine power for the race on Sunday: “We’ll put the right grenade in the car again!”
