ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Toto Wolff and Christian Horner barely looked at each other when they sat side by side three weeks ago discussing the Formula 1 championship.
Their frosty relationship briefly thawed on the Friday before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are tied in the points classification before the title-winning race.
“Good luck. May the best man and the best team win,” said Mercedes boss Wolff, who when asked what the two team bosses had to say, shook hands with Red Bull rival Horner over the Constructors’ Cup .
“Exactly,” replied Horner, who took the handshake.
It was dramatically different from the November 19th at the Qatar Grand Prix, where the tension was evident in their rigid body language and open contempt for one another.
“I don’t have to go to dinner with Toto. I don’t have to kiss his (butt) or anything, ”said Horner that day.
And von Wolff: “What began as Olympic boxing became professional boxing and is now MMA. The gloves are off. “
But at the time of that encounter, Verstappen had a 14-point lead in the overall standings, which two days before Hamilton took the second of three straight wins – a streak that equalized the championship ahead of Sunday’s final. It is the first time since 1974 that the contenders have entered the final race with equal points.
Winner of four straight titles, Hamilton has used the last three races to be within reach with an eighth F1 record title to break the tie with Michael Schumacher. Verstappen, winner of the nine best races this season, wants to become the first Dutch world champion.
“You know, who would have thought we’d be here with an outdoor shot for that trophy this season? Being with Lewis has been an incredible journey, an incredible championship, ”said Horner. “Nobody has challenged (Mercedes) anywhere in the past eight years. It was intense, it was frustrating at times, we exceeded the limits, we let each other push each other, we put our competitors under pressure and here we are in the last race for the showdown. It almost feels a bit like ‘Squid Games’. “
Suitable for Horner to refer to a popular Netflix series. The streaming giant made the highly quotable Horner a star with its F1 documentary series “Drive To Survive”. The Netflix programming has been described by F1 insiders as the best thing that could have happened to the globetrotter racing series in decades, as the show has behind-the-scenes access to F1 drivers and teams.
Although Formula 1 is considered the most popular form of motorsport in the world, it has struggled to gain a foothold in North America. Its popularity in the region has now exploded because of Netflix.
This racing season won’t air until 2022, but the battle for the championship is the closest and most dramatic since perhaps 1976, when James Hunt defeated Niki Lauda – a fight recorded in the 2013 Ron Howard blockbuster “Rush”.
Hamilton has fought close duels before, including a 2008 showdown with Felipe Massa, who won the season finale in his native Brazil and believed he won the title by the time he crossed the finish line. His team celebrated with Hamilton almost 40 seconds behind.
But with a pass for fifth place on the final lap, Hamilton clinched his first championship by a single point.
It turns into another stellar finish in Abu Dhabi, where Verstappen was the fastest in Friday’s first practice session and Hamilton was picking up the pace in practice two.
“The only chance we have to win this championship is to beat Lewis and that’s what we want to do on the track,” said Horner on Friday.
Formula 1 racing director Michael Masi reminded the teams in his regular event notes to all participants of the rules for sporting behavior and the possible penalties. It should be a direct message to Red Bull and Verstappen, who have been criticized for aggressive driving this season and accused by Hamilton of crossing the border last week in Saudi Arabia.
Verstappen in Abu Dhabi has claimed that he has been targeted by stewards and treated more severely than his competitors. Both Wolff and Horner were asked by The Associated Press on Friday if Verstappen was being targeted, and Horner removed his mask to respond.
“Sometimes I think he’s been treated harshly and I think he’s been scrutinized that we didn’t apply consistently,” said Horner, Verstappen’s boss. “He’s up against a seven-time world champion and I think allegations about his driving, about his driving style, about his driving standards, a narrative was pushed to put pressure on him.
“Max rides in a passionate way, has brought new fans into the sport this year and we don’t want him to change. We want him to drive exactly as he has, which has brought him to the brink of competing with us for the world championship. ”
Wolff declined to speak specifically about “incidents or the driving itself” but suggested that Verstappen’s attitude was his own perception.
“And that will affect how you think and how you see the world,” said Wolff. “We also have an influence on having the clearest overview, and that is of course different from Red Bull, but that’s okay. They just have to acknowledge that they see it through their glasses and have an opinion, and we see it through our glasses and the stewards have a very difficult time being neutral and making decisions. ”
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