Christian Horner has fired back at Toto Wolff, suggesting that the Mercedes boss focuses less on the possibility of signing Max Verstappen. Over recent months, Wolff has frequently mentioned the possibility of signing different drivers for 2025. Since Lewis Hamilton’s absence, several names have been associated with the German constructor. Wolff has contributed himself, even mentioning Red Bull’s Max Verstappen as an option. Clearly, the Austrian outfit’s team principal is growing tired of this.
The Chinese GP was another opportunity for Red Bull to make a statement – and they took it. Leading up to last weekend, there was optimism that Ferrari could challenge the reigning Champions. The SF-24’s reasonable performance in Japan was stronger than anticipated, especially at a circuit well-suited to Red Bull.
However, the RB20 was once again in a league of its own in Shanghai. Verstappen was dominant in the Sprint Race, qualifying and Grand Prix. Only the wet conditions of the Friday shootout exposed the RB20’s relative weakness in wet conditions. Still, overall, the reigning Champions are in a very strong position on track.
Meanwhile, the team is still recovering from the implications of their internal power struggle. Only a few months ago, Red Bull was fighting among themselves – which had significant implications for the driver market.
At the time, Max Verstappen’s departure from the team was floated – especially after Jos Verstappen called for Christian Horner’s removal. However, given Red Bull’s continued excellence, it seems unlikely the 3-time World Champion will be doing anywhere.
Despite this, Toto Wolff believes the Dutchman is still up for grabs. He outlined that Mercedes’ lack of performance does not rule out a shock move. Wolff emphasised that other factors will determine Verstappen’s future.
CHRISTIAN HORNER FIRES BACK AT TOTO WOLFF
Speaking to the media post-race, Christian Horner was clearly unimpressed by Wolff’s comments:
“I don’t think Toto’s problems are his drivers,” racingnews365 quotes him as saying.
“I think he’s probably got other elements that he needs to be focusing on – rather than focusing on drivers that are unavailable…
“Sometimes it’s just designed to create noise.”
Evidently, it would be unprecedented to see Verstappen depart from Red Bull for a team who are barely fourth-fastest.
Despite the team’s internal tug-of-war, the situation – for now – has stabilised. For Mercedes, the solution to their current predicament, as it always has been in F1, is to find more performance.
