Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has labelled Crimson Bull rival Christian Horner “a yapping little terrier” and referred to as out his accusations in regards to the psychological state of his driver George Russell.
Because the row between Russell and Max Verstappen over the Qatar grid penalty escalated forward of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Thursday, Wolff has additional ramped issues up by declaring his disproval of remarks that Horner made after the race.
Amid the fallout of the stewards listening to which has triggered the controversy, Horner accused Russell of triggering the one-place grid penalty for Verstappen via ‘hysterics’.
Chatting with media, Horner stated: “I feel the penalty was extra based mostly on hysterics from George, who has been fairly hysterical this weekend.”
However Wolff is much from impressed about what Horner stated, and prompt the Crimson Bull boss crossed the road in making a private criticism of his driver.
“It is a factor between drivers, that is George and Max, and I don’t wish to become involved in that,” stated Wolff, who joined Russell’s common media session within the Yas Marina paddock on Thursday.
“But when the opposite staff principal calls George hysteric, that is when he crosses a line for me.
“He isn’t into mental psychoanalysis, however that’s fairly a phrase. How dare you touch upon the mind-set of my driver.”
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Crew, Toto Wolff, Crew Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG F1 Crew on the media spherical desk
Photograph by: Ronald Vording
Wolff additionally remarked that Horner was nothing greater than a “yapping little terrier” as he prompt that Verstappen was solely performing that approach as a result of he had been allowed to do what he wished at Crimson Bull.
He reckoned the truth that Horner was all the time totally supportive of every thing Verstappen did was not the best method for a staff boss to have.
“As a staff principal, it is necessary to be a sparring accomplice on your drivers, and which means explaining that issues could be extra nuanced,” added Wolff.
“Statements which can be absolutistic, considering that every thing is both 100% proper or 100% flawed, it is one thing I feel must be extra nuanced, relying in your notion and your perspective.
“You’ll want to enable for one thing to be 51/49, you’ll want to enable it to be 70/30. So there’s all the time one other facet.
“And perhaps whenever you have a look at it that approach and also you clarify it to your drivers and to your staff, you come to the conclusion that there’s fact on each side. In the event you do not try this, you are falling wanting your position. It is simply weak.
“And, on the finish, why does he really feel entitled to remark about my driver? How does that come? Yapping little terrier. All the time one thing to say.”
Pole man Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Crew, discuss in Parc Ferme
Photograph by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Pictures
Russell believed Verstappen acts as he does as a result of he has by no means been challenged off of the observe.
“I feel he has been enabled as a result of no person has stood as much as him,” defined the Briton. “Lewis stood as much as him in 2021, and Lewis misplaced that championship unfairly.
“Might you think about the roles being reversed and Max shedding that championship within the method of which Lewis misplaced that championship? [Michael] Masi can be fearing for his life.
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“Among the latest incidents he has been punished and [also] punished himself, like Mexico with the reckless overtakes, and Budapest with the reckless overtake.
“It’s simply prior to now that he has such a dominant automobile that he has not been on this place.
“I feel the FIA are fairly on it now and I don’t suppose a lot wants to alter from their viewpoint as a result of he’s going to punish himself by some means.”
Pictures from Abu Dhabi GP Thursday
On this article
Jonathan Noble
Formulation 1
Max Verstappen
George Russell
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