Christian Horner HITS BACK at Toto Wolff after shock Max Verstappen claim

Toto Wolff, Christian Horner split — Photo: © LAT Images

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Horner HITS BACK at Wolff after shock Verstappen claim

Wolff has been left dumbfounded by the gap between Verstappen and Sergio Perez

Dan Davis

Monday 11 September 2023 09:57

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Christian Horner has furiously bit back at suggestions Red Bull have favoured Max Verstappen over Sergio Perez by building the RB19 around the world champion.

During qualifying at the Dutch Grand Prix last month, Verstappen, who clinched pole position, bettered Perez's best effort by 1.313 seconds, a staggering gulf.

As a result, Mercedes boss Wolff shared his surprise at the difference between the two drivers, admitting he could not "comprehend" the "bizarre" gap.

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He also suggested that Red Bull may have sculpted their current challenger around Verstappen's skillset, handing his team-mate Perez an impossible task.

Horner, however, leapt to Red Bull's defence ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.

Verstappen has outfought Perez in almost every race this season

Horner hits back

"It shows a total lack of understanding of how a race car and team develop, if Toto thinks that we're developing a car around a single driver," he said.

"You develop a car to be as quick as you can, and sometimes quick cars are difficult cars. That's historically been the case. And I think that drivers adapt.

"The good drivers that you see in wet conditions, mixed conditions, varied conditions, the elite [drivers], they adapt quickly. And I think that's one of his key skillsets is his ability to adapt to the feeling and the grip levels that a car gives him.

"But there's certainly no direction to say 'oh, we tailor something to suit one specific driver'. We're just trying to design and build the fastest car that we can...

"Our tools, our simulation and our wind tunnel provide us with that direction."

Incidentally, Verstappen's triumph in Monza showcased his relentless domination over Perez, who was made to settle for second, and the rest of the grid.