Regardless of the result in the Grand Prix of Qatar, one thing is clear: the breath taking titanic duel between World Cup leader Max Verstappen and world champion Lewis Hamilton has hardened and has been given an extra charge. While the drivers still do their best to show respect for each other's performance, their team bosses Wolff and Horner slide further and further towards provocations and innuendo. The level drops and the protagonists are constantly adding fuel to the fire. "We do not have dinner together and we also celebrate Christmas without each other. Unless he performs a play. Then I will take the children with me," said Verstappen's team boss Christian Horner during a spirited press conference on the Losail circuit.
"It seems logical to me: we are not friends and we should not pretend that we are. The battle is extremely intense. Toto gets nervous. That's why he swears so much lately. He's under pressure. Great, isn't it?" The object sat next to Horner, neatly within the prescribed two meters: Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes, who already loudly announced after the last grand prix in Brazil that he will now put salt on every Red Bull snail. "The time of diplomacy is over," said the Austrian. "From now on, we will enlarge every suspicious thing on their car and raise it with the race management." It appeared to be so. Mercedes caused unrest in the run-up to the Qatar Grand Prix with a "modest file of new evidence" according to Wolff. The attack on Verstappen's defensive moves against Hamilton in the Brazilian GP was repulsed. The FIA motorsport federation saw no reason in the cockpit video images provided to open an investigation and reconsider a penalty, but the affair sets the tone for the season's denouement. Wolff's response was sobering after the FIA brushed off his request. "We were just doing this to provoke a discussion. We didn't think there was anything to gain." The spotlight is of course on Verstappen and Hamilton in Qatar. Especially on race day, the focus is on the thin gap between the two ruffs: fourteen points separate the reigning champion and the challenger. One steering error, a collision or a technical defect can cost Hamilton or Verstappen the title. "It's about the details. That has been the case all year and it will also be the case here and in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi," predicts Verstappen. In the shadow of the individual titan duel, the battle Red Bull versus Mercedes is at least as relevant. If only because it revolves around prestige, envy and millions of dollars in income. Wolff and Horner are like boxers in the ring. Everything seems allowed to touch and shake each other. Media and even the competition management are brought into position to hand out a knockout. The atmosphere is grim and will remain so until mid-December - two more races to follow after Qatar. Red Bull Racing and Mercedes will target each other non-stop in the coming weeks. The preliminary shelling is already in full swing in Qatar. Main target: the rear wings. Horner and his men never miss an opportunity to suspect Mercedes' swaying wing. Subtly, Horner already threatens with a protest because an illegal wing can generate extra speed. "We have footage. They will look at that," explains Verstappen. Mercedes, in turn, has an army of aerodynamics experts meticulously examine every 'flappy' movement of Red Bull's wings. In the heat of battle, both top teams are pushing the limits on the hunt for every millisecond, but Mercedes boss Wolff is not worried. "There's nothing wrong. We follow the rules. Red Bull sees ghosts. Nobody intentionally comes on the circuit with an illegal wing. Then you are crazy. You can't get away with that. The world is much too transparent there in front of." And provocatively: "We would like to send a copy to their headquarters in Milton Keynes. Our wing has already been checked by the FIA about fourteen times. They have all the drawings. There is so much charade that responding to all the rumors for us is almost is a full-time job." "We've all seen how fast Lewis Hamilton was suddenly in Brazil," Horner parries. "The difference in top speed was huge and the question is whether that is only due to a fresh engine. We want to know if they are following the rules and have our reservations about their flexible rear wing." For example, Formula 1 is turning into a game of Big Brother in the Middle East. "Mercedes keeps an eye on our car and we keep an eye on their car," Horner confirms. "If we think they are cheating, we protest. There is so much at stake. We want a level playing field, trust the FIA and make sure they check more closely. Their role is crucial. The rules are very complex, but the decision has to fall on the track."
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