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F1's sporting director Ross Brawn believes the fierce off-track duel between Mercedes' Toto Wolff and Red Bull Racing's Christian Horner adds to the entertainment of the ongoing title battle. The former Ferrari technical director highlighted the difference between intra-team rivalries and inter-team rivalries, citing the dynamic between the Mercedes and Red Bull bosses.
Explaining the public back and forth between Wolff and Horner, and its contribution to the F1 title battle, Brawn told Australian podcast In the Fast Lane:
“We've got this brilliant dynamic between Toto Wolff and Christian Horner. And that's sort of a great ingredient in the battle when you've got two drivers in the same team. There's sort of a different political landscape to that, and it's definitely not as entertaining as what we've got now.”
Wolff and Horner's barbs have turned up the heat on the championship fight between drivers Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The two team bosses are known to fight tooth and nail through their media statements and public outcries.
Describing the intensity of an intra-team battle in comparison to an inter-team battle, Brawn said:
“I think there has been a growth of really intense competition at the top. I think, in this new era, Mercedes have dominated, and even when you have a competition between two drivers in the same team, it's not the same.”
Mercedes' battles in the hybrid era were never close to the same intensity as it is this year against Red Bull F1. Their only team other than Red Bull to pose a brief title threat was Ferrari, and it wasn't anywhere close to the intensity of the 2021 battle, both on and off-track.
Mercedes request review of Verstappen-Hamilton incident in F1 Brazil Grand Prix
Brawn's comments highlight the fierceness of the off-track battle between the two teams. Mercedes' decision to request a review of the stewards' decision on the Lap 48 incident between Verstappen and Hamilton is another example of that.
The Silver Arrows outfit are now seeking an explanation and a review over the stewards' decision which had stated "no investigation necessary" at the time. In light of new evidence showing onboard footage of the incident released by F1, the reigning champions are pushing for further investigation.
The battle of words between Mercedes and Red Bull F1 is only going to intensify in the run up to the Qatar Grand Prix, scheduled from November 19-21, 2021.
