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Red Bull F1 chief Christian Horner believes Mercedes have been challenged properly for the first time in seven years and expects a fair fight till the end of the season. The British team principal described the season as the most intense political fight that they’ve fought in the team’s history.
When asked after the team principal’s press conference about how Mercedes were coping with their toughest championship challenge in the hybrid era, Christian Horner simply said:
“I don’t know. Ask Toto”
After an intense grenade-hurling contest at the FIA team principals' conference where Horner was joined by his Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff, Horner feels Mercedes have never been pushed so hard before.
Speaking about the respect and the relationship between the two teams, the Red Bull F1 team boss said:
“We’re fighting for the world championship, we’re fighting for the constructors’ world championship and it’s the first time in seven years [that] they have been challenged. So, that intensifies it and I think the sport is a big winner out of this and I just hope that we have a hard and fair fight between now and the end of the season.”
Both team principals explained the high level they were competing at and explained the reasons for their political competitiveness off-track. Christian Horner, however, believed they were entitled to fight hard and described the off-track battle as an equally intense one.
On being asked about the mutual respect between the two teams and the intense battles on and off-track, Christian Horner said:
“Look, we are going to push to the maximum. We worked hard to get into this position. It’s the first time they have been challenged. It’s interesting to see how people react when they are under pressure, when they are challenged. It’s by far the most intense political title fight we’ve been involved in, in our time in the sport.”
According to the Red Bull F1 chief, they will do their best to pressure Mercedes by giving it everything they have. However, they expect a level playing field in terms of technicalities and legalities when it comes to the cars and their components.
Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner ready to protest Mercedes on rear-wing controversy
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 later on Friday, Christian Horner explained that while Mercedes had sought a "clever" solution for their car's rear wing, he questioned its legality.
According to the 48-year-old, there were scoremarks on the wing, which suggested the wing enabled Mercedes to reduce drag even when the DRS flap was closed. He also mentioned that his side wouldn't hesitate to protest.
With Red Bull F1 compelled to believe that the Mercedes rear wing has a hidden illegal element, the controversy over it is likely to continue through the Qatar GP weekend and beyond.
