Whenever we hear Red Bull and Mercedes, our memory pans back to the 2021 finale race. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton locked horns for the ultimate prize in the final showdown. The young Dutch driver eventually managed to win a close competition, which was later objected to by the Mercedes squad. Although the controversial decision went in Verstappen’s favor, he has been unstoppable.
Since the 2021 race, the two groups have experienced contrasting outcomes. While Red Bull and Verstappen have been winning almost every race, Mercedes and Hamilton have failed to do so in two years. Thus, when the Briton decides to leave the Silver Arrows, Toto Wolff wants Verstappen to replace him. While the Dutchman is keen to stay with the Milton Keynes-based squad, Wolff refuses to give up. However, the three-time world champion spoke about Mercedes’ recent resurgence in a recent interview.
Mercedes Seeks Redemption As Red Bull Leads The World Championship
Since 2022, the Mercedes team has been in the shadows of ‘ground effect’. The technical team has consistently failed to deliver a competitive prospect due to aerodynamic issues. On the contrary, Red Bull has pressed all the right keys. The RB20 is among the fastest cars, evident every weekend. Moreover, McLaren and Ferrari have tried to catch up with the leaders. While the two have managed to cut the gap, RBR is still miles ahead. Especially McLaren, with Lando Norris, has persistently challenged Verstappen and CO. As a result, he ended the Ducthman’s Miami streak and came close to defeating him twice. Returning to Mercedes, the team had recently rediscovered the mojo with back-to-back podiums. Thus, they look like a different tea since the Canada GP and the F1 aficionados have high expectations of them for the remainder of 2024.
When the Red Bull starlet was asked about his expectations from the Three-Pointed Star, he responded appropriately. He said it depends on the team and its strategy, as he can’t look into their setup. Thus, predicting their future performance is not possible. Furthermore, the 26-year-old Dutch driver explained that he could only focus on and control what was happening with his own team. He claimed to be more busy optimizing the team’s setup than thinking about the other teams.
This Is Why Senior Verstappen Is Angry With Christian Horner
Max Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, a former racer, is not on good terms with Christian Horner. Since the controversy in March, Jos has claimed that Horner could tear apart the team. The former driver is angry with the team principal for preventing him from participating in the Legends Parade in Austria.
He recently told the media that Horner is trying everything to stop him from driving. He wants the team boss to say it ‘on his face,’ as all these tactics disappoint the Dutchman. However, this was not the first time he expressed his discontent with Horner.