Max Verstappen, the three-time F1 World Champion, established a never-seen level of dominance in Formula 1 since last year. With a 19-race win record, the Dutch driver finished over 100 points ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez in the drivers’ championship standings.
Moreover, with Red Bull Racing raising bar this season with a much stronger RB20, Max Verstappen seems poised to retain his drivers championship. And interestingly, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff conceded already by stating how Verstappen will remain invincible for this year at least. However, Red Bull boss and Wolff’s antagonist, Christian Horner bluntly dismissed his claim.
Christian Horner No Longer Takes Old-Foe Toto Wolff Seriously!
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and his notorious rivalry with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner goes a long way back to the former’s dominance days. Horner, desperate to dethrone Mercedes’ dominance, grew spiteful of Wolff, and the duo were seen engaged in multiple heated confrontations over the years. While Red Bull’s ongoing dominant run had toned down the rivalry, Horner reignited the verbal brawl during his interview in Japan. Prior to the race weekend, Mercedes’s boss stated that Max Verstappen would be out of reach this year and would go on to retain his championship comfortably. Wolff wrote of the year not just for Mercedes but also for the rest of the grid.
That bold claim certainly didn’t sit well with the Red Bull boss. Reacting to Toto Wolff’s audacious claim, Christian Horner revealed that he has learned over the years to not listen to Wolff and not take his comments seriously. Horner doubled down on the fact that the 2024 season still has 20 races left on the calendar. And it’s foolish to rule anyone out at this point. “It’s very early to write off your year; there’s still 20 races to go,” said Horner. That being said, the team principal also credited Max Verstappen for his valor efforts on the track. He revealed that the Dutchman changed his trainer over the winter to be much fitter and in the best shape of his life. While the car has been a cherry on the top, Verstappen’s strong start is definitely a positive sign for Red Bull going forward. “The form he had last year has just carried through,” added Horner.
Max Verstappen Dismisses Toto Wolff’s ‘Flattering’ Seat Offer For 2025!
Leading up to Red Bull’s internal turmoil, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff tried to poach Max Verstappen to offer him the second seat at Mercedes, vacated by Lewis Hamilton. However, the Dutchman has seemingly dismissed the offer to confirm his loyalty to Red Bull. In Japan, Max said he is flattered by Wolff’s nice words for a change.
However, he does not see any reason to break apart from Red Bull in their era of dominance. Max Verstappen has a contract until 2028 and he intends to see the end of it. “They [Mercedes] want me in that car, I understand that. But I don’t think I should be driving somewhere else right now,” affirmed Verstappen.
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