Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has reignited tensions between himself and Mercedes’ boss Toto Wolff.
The rivalry between the pair has continued to build throughout the season as the battle for the drivers and constructors championship heads into its final two races.
With just eight-points separating championship leader Max Verstappen from Lewis Hamilton, Horner said that winning this season would be more satisfying than anything he had previously achieved with Red Bull.
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“I think this would top everything just because of the intensity of it,” he told the UK’s Daily Telegraph.
“Because of the quality of our opposition. Remember, 60 per cent of Mercedes’ car is carryover from last year. And last year was the most dominant car they’ve ever had. So the way this team has reacted has been phenomenal.”
Speaking of the different opponents he has contended with over his 17 years as team principal, Horner said that this year’s relationship with Mercedes had been “very different”.
“When we were fighting Ferrari or McLaren… Stefano [Domenicali] ran Ferrari back then and there was always a handshake, you know, after the race. It was different. This one has felt very political off track. The positioning, the posturing, the politicking of the governing body, of the drivers and teams.
“Maybe we’ve been a bit naive, because for us, it’s been all about what’s going on on the track. And then you find, when you are under attack you have to defend.
“[But] whatever the outcome [with Mercedes], for sure there’ll be a handshake at the end of it… And then no doubt [Wolff] will try and kick me in the b—— before it all starts again.”
One source of conflict between the two teams has been the decisions handed down by the stewards and race director, as both parties feel they have been treated unfairly compared to the other.
Horner believes Mercedes use means off the track to “manipulate” a message and create unnecessary noise. An example of this being his own trip to the stewards for comments he made at the Qatar Grand Prix about a “rogue” marshal. The official waved a yellow flag in qualifying unknowingly to Verstappen, resulting in a five-place grid penalty.
“We don’t have huge departments of press and manipulators in the background. So I’m fending off whatever is incoming. Whereas some teams operate in a very different manner. They’ll spend their time, you know, manipulating a message,” he said.
“I think perhaps my comments were used to become pointed at a marshal which wasn’t the intention. But you know, these things get spun around. They get turned and they get twisted.
“Incidentally, where is the consistency? The previous weekend, [Mercedes] basically told the race director to go f–k himself. My comments felt insignificant by comparison.”
Horner also took aim at Lewis Hamilton for provoking Verstappen.
“Lewis continually drops his subtle little digs or provocations. But I think the great thing about Max is he doesn’t give a f–k. He is who he is,” Horner said.