Horner: "Mercedes has more marketing men than mechanics"

Hamilton-Verstappen is a battle not only of actions but also of words. An all-round war, even in the media. From this point of view, the communication of Red Bull appears younger, while that of Mercedes seems more anchored to tradition. However, the Brackley house can count on structures and profiles able to perfectly manage every crisis (the latest case is that of Kingspan) and to put the opponents in a bad light.

Red Bull team principal Chris Horner spoke about this aspect at the Abu Dhabi press conference. A sort of communicative ‘David against Goliath’ for which “Mercedes has more people in marketing than mechanics in its garage. Over the course of this World Championship Max has paid some tough decisions to his disadvantage, while other riders have gotten away with it, and I think Lewis would say the same in reverse. In some accidents, the spotlight went on Max and his driving style“.

“The overall weight of my team pales in the presence of Mercedes, one of the largest automotive companies in the world. The power it wields with the media around the world is tremendousHorner continued. “Hamilton himself said in 2011 that we are just a drinks company that races in Grand Prix. I don’t think it’s particularly good for them to get beaten by an energy drink manufacturer, they made it quite clear to us. We have a phenomenal driver who has driven with his heart this year. It was intense on and off the track. And I think that too call it ‘Mad Max’ (‘Crazy Max’, ed) is part of a very clear narrative. Hamilton himself is a seven-time world champion, he is the most successful driver of all time, he has a clear position within Formula 1. What he says is heard by millions of people and I think he used every tool to his willingness to put weight on Max this year. I think a tremendous amount of pressure has been put on Max’s shoulders, fueled by Mercedes media car“.