Wolff-Horner: Symbolic handshake in Abu Dhabi

The gesture is symbolic but it remains no less strong. And let’s admit it, a bit comforting. When Toto wolff, boss of Mercedes, reached out to his best enemy Christian Horner at the FIA ​​press conference this Friday in Abu Dhabi, the main team Red Bull Racing did not hesitate and shook him frankly and cordially.

Behind this almost friendly handshake enthroned the cup which will be presented to the world champion of the Manufacturers of Formula 1 on the evening of the last Grand Prix of an incredible, thrilling, and at times completely unbreathable season.

The decor bore a striking resemblance to that seen the day before. with Max Verstappen et Lewis Hamilton and the trophy awarded to the winning driver placed between the two candidates for the title. Except that the Red Bull rider and his opponent Mercedes never even looked at each other in the eye.

This season, however, we were more accustomed to seeing their boss get away with it, while the drivers maintained their composure in front of the press. Verstappen had even jokingly suggested that Wolff and Horner be brought into a ring so that they could fight it out.

Their last visit to a press conference, in Qatar, took place in a polar climate and a heavy atmosphere that could be cut with a knife. None of that this Friday at Yas Marina.

« Good luck, may the best driver win and the best team win “, replied Wolff when asked if he had a message for Horner, who returned his first handshake at that moment.

The two men logically took stock of a truly exceptional 2021 vintage, both on and off the track.

« Who would have thought that we would arrive in Abu Dhabi with a small chance in the Manufacturers' standings and tied on points with Lewis? Horner enthused. It was a wonderful adventure, an incredible championship. We won 10 races, 9 of which with Max. This is almost as much as his number of successes so far (10 before the 2021 season, Editor’s note).”

Wolff also praised the relentless efforts of Mercedes, who started the season slightly behind Red Bull but finished the campaign with a competitive advantage, particularly in terms of engine power.

« We had a big discussion together to take stock and see where we were as a team., declared the Austrian. After Brazil, we rediscovered some fun in our ranks and it reminded us why we were here: to compete fiercely and aim for both titles. Lewis is one of the main protagonists of this approach, he helps to install and distill this state of mind.

He and Valtteri are pillars of the team, they focus on their roles and don't get distracted by outside noise ».

With 28 points behind Mercedes, Horner recognizes that the Constructors' title will be very difficult for Red Bull to win. Wolff admits that the statistics speak in favor of the star brand but reminds that everything can happen quickly in F1.

« Watch the last round in Saudi Arabia, there was only 5 points difference and Checo (Pérez, Editor’s note) suffered this abandonment and left with a 0 point, it can change suddenly » underlined the captain of Brackley (United Kingdom).

Red Bull doesn't want Verstappen to change approach

In the midst of this beautiful atmosphere, the two men were unable to avoid angry subjects, namely the prospect of a clash between the candidates for the title, the call to order from FIA race director Michael Masi on the issue , or the way in which Verstappen considers himself unfairly treated, notably during the last Saudi Arabian GP.

Horner logically rushed to his driver's aid, saying he deserved to be praised for injecting new blood into F1 rather than vilified for his aggressive style.

« I think he was treated harshly in this case., confided the British manager, referring to the incidents and the double penalty from Jeddah.

He is still in the crosshairs, while other incidents escape such scrutiny. And that saddens him.

Max is in the spotlight as he competes at the forefront and faces a seven-time world champion, the most decorated driver of all time. These allegations about his driving, his way of driving... there is this little music, this chorus which helps to put pressure on him.

But he drives fantastically. It reignites passions and has helped F1 win over new fans this season. We don't want him to change. We want him to continue to drive exactly the same way he got to the brink of a world title against Lewis..

Since the start of the school year, Mercedes has had a better car overall. If we are still fighting for the championship, we owe it only to Max ».

If Verstappen considers himself unfairly treated, it is because he sees no difference in his way of defending against Hamilton in Brazil at turn 4, and his resistance against the same driver during the first braking in Saudi Arabia. However, the Red Bull driver escaped the sanction in São Paulo but was penalized in Jeddah.

« We come back to this question of consistency in decisions, added Horner, much more talkative than his counterpart this Friday at Yas Marina. What happened at turn 4 (in Brazil, Editor’s note) and the way in which the situation was interpreted, must apply again to this race.

You don't pull something out of your hat and say “Okay, from now on it’s like this.” I think that the championship arbitration would then become a farce ».

Horner and Wolff will not wake up together

Regarding Masi's inclusion of several articles of the FIA ​​International Sporting Code in its pre-race instructions, in particular those indicating that a withdrawal of points or exclusion from the championship for unsporting behavior was possible, Wolff considers that this is a “ good deterrent ».

« This will ensure the fight stays clean and reminds us that the manner matters as much as the outcome. » commented the Austrian.

Feeling targeted by these reminders from the FIA ​​race director, Horner hammered home his message about consistency in the application of the rules.

« These articles of the sporting code are not new, reacted the boss of Milton Keynes (United Kingdom). They have always been there. We did not reintroduce them especially for this weekend.

Nobody wants the championship to be played in front of the commissioners' panel or in a gravel trap. Everyone wants to see these two titans go wheel-to-wheel again, as they have already done several times this season. This is what we want, and this is what Max wants. To do this, there must be consistency in decisions.

We can understand why Toto and Lewis are campaigning for these articles, given that they do not have the advantage of the number of victories. But no one goes into this race thinking that it’s going to end in a crash.

There are a lot of rumors on the subject but we are focused on the track and how to win by receiving the checkerboard first ».

Verstappen and Hamilton are effectively tied on points – 369,5 each – but the Dutchman has one more victory (9-8) than his rival. It would therefore be titled in the event of a double retirement, or if no driver scores points.

Although they agreed not to spend the Christmas holidays together, Horner and Wolff nevertheless exchanged another handshake, this time at the initiative of the main Red Bull team, when leaving the press conference room.

For a bit, we could almost have forgotten the tension surrounding this last weekend of the season.

Is this the proverbial calm before the storm? The future will tell.