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Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert feels that the nagging complaints and frequent bickering between Toto Wolff and Christian Horner are detrimental to the sport. A former F1 driver himself and a teammate of Michael Schumacher at one point in his career, Herbert feels that the attention should always be on the drivers.
Speaking to Betway, the 57-year-old claimed the consistent jabs between team principals from both Red Bull and Mercedes have taken the focus away from the drivers and towards the team. He said:
“From my side, it’s a distraction. The conversation now always seems to be about the teams, whereas actually, it’s not about the team and never has been. That has become a little muddled recently. The teams were so entwined with that finale to last season, in terms of their complaints to the race director and the press, that it has become too much about them.”
Herbert then went on to say:
“When we think back to classic races, we remember the winning drivers, not the teams. The drivers have always been the big draw, I think, for race fans. The gladiators that they are on the racetrack mean that we see sensational races week after week. That’s the deal.”
Concurring with what Johnny Herbert said, last season's F1 Abu Dhabi GP saw Toto Wolff and his rants on the radio somehow become the center of attraction for everything. Wolff throwing his headphones during the Saudi Arabian GP and the consistent barbs thrown around by both Horner and Wolff were the main talking points over the weekend and the rivalry became a staple in the sport.
Both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have, however, maintained somewhat amicable relations amongst themselves even after the intense rivalry of last season.
F1 Saudi Arabian GP takes place this weekend
The 2022 F1 Saudi Arabian GP will take place this weekend with some intriguing storylines already in play. How will Red Bull fare against Ferrari? Who will hold the advantage in the straights? Will Mercedes be able to close the gap to the front? Who will hold the advantage in the midfield?
The new generation of cars certainly looks different on track, but it is still not clear whether the changes made to the regulations have had the desired impact. Teams like Red Bull suffered from overheating brakes that prevented them from following Charles Leclerc, while on the other hand, Fernando Alonso felt that the cars were easier to follow as compared to last season.
All in all, the jury is still out as fans will be looking forward to the second race of the season in Jeddah.
