Verstappen-Mercedes, Horner's outburst: he lashes out at Wolff | FormulaPassion.it

Verstappen continues to win

After the fourth success in the first five world championship events of 2024, Max Verstappen he reiterated – if there had ever been any doubt – that he was the clear favorite for the world championship.
In recent days, the Dutchman has reiterated his desire to continue with his team “as long as he feels happy“, a phrase that could lend itself to multiple interpretations.

And indeed Toto Wolff at the end of the Shanghai race he once again rushed to talk about the possible arrival of the three-time world champion in Mercedes, underlining how being at the wheel of the best single-seater is not the only factor that Verstappen will find himself analyzing when choosing what to do in 2025 .

Horner's response

In the press conference at the end of the event, Christian Horner he was called to respond to Wolff and clearly the Englishman didn't have to wait, given the rivalry between the two: “I have to think carefully about what to say. Have you talked to Max about this? Because if you talk to him, it's about how he feels within the team and the relationship he has with the team. beyond the expiry of the contract”.

Horner then continued, counterattacking Wolff: “I don't think Toto's problems at the moment are the riders. I think it has other elements to focus on, before thinking about drivers not available on the market. I don't know how many times Max has to say this, he's already said it several times. I don't want to continue talking about this story, also because sometimes it seems to me that it is brought up just to make noise.” Another direct attack: “Today we surpassed the number of races won by Mercedes in the modern era, we are in good shape. Why on earth would Max leave Red Bull? Mercedes is currently the third team with that power unit, it is behind its customers. So I think Toto's time would be better spent focusing on his team and not the driver market. By the way: have you heard that Russell's contract expires at the end of 2025? Maybe he's not so happy about staying for 2026. The market is always moving“. Horner then closed his speech: “I can assure you that there is not the slightest doubt about where Max Verstappen will be for next year“.