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Christian Horner slams Mercedes team principal over Max Verstappen comments
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner criticizes Mercedes boss Toto Wolff's comments on Red Bull's car development for Max Verstappen.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has taken a dig at his Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff. The Mercedes team boss had hinted that Red Bull have come up with a car to suit Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen’s style. "We’ve seen that Max has destroyed every single teammate that was with him. Whether or not it's his ability to create a car around himself that is just very tricky to control, but fast when you can, and that creates those gaps. But 1.3,” Wolff was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. Reacting to this, Horner claimed that Wolff’s comments just show “total lack of understanding.”
"It shows a total lack of understanding of how a race car and team develop. If Toto thinks that we're developing a car around a single driver. You develop a car to be as quick as you can and sometimes quick cars are difficult cars - that's what's historically been the case,” Horner was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
"I think that drivers adapt. The good drivers that you see in wet conditions, mixed conditions, varied conditions, the elite, they adapt quickly and I think that's one of his (Verstappen's) key skill sets is his ability to adapt to the feeling and the grip levels that a car gives him,” Horner added.
The current Formula One season has been thoroughly dominated by Red Bull as they lead Mercedes in the constructors' championship by 310 points. Red Bull have so far recorded 583 points along with 14 wins. Mercedes are placed at second spot with 273 points to their name.
Red Bull have been unbeaten so far in 2023. Red Bull’s triumph at the Italian Grand Prix marked their 15th win in a row. Their astounding run dates back to Abu Dhabi last season. Moreover, Red Bull have been able to win 24 of the last 25 races, including last year. With eight more races still to go this season, Red Bull are currently aiming for a maiden perfect year by a Formula One team.
Just like the constructors’ standings, the drivers’ championship is also ruled by the Red Bull racers. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen currently claims the top spot in the drivers’ standings. The 25-year-old is enjoying a whopping 145-point lead over his teammate and second-placed Sergio Perez.
Max Verstappen came up with a stellar display to conquer the Italian Grand Prix last weekend. With this, Verstappen claimed a record 10th straight win. The Dutchman has till now won 12 of the 14 races for Red Bull this season. The remaining two victories have been picked up by Sergio Perez.
