Red Bull chief Christian Horner claims Mercedes 'f****d up'

Horner, Wolff, Red Bull, Mercedes, 2021 — Photo: © LAT Images

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Red Bull chief Horner claims Mercedes 'f****d up'

The Red Bull team principal did not mince his words when it came to their F1 rivals

Edward Hardy

Wednesday 22 November 2023 08:27

Red Bull team principal has claimed that Mercedes 'f****d up' during the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 season finale.

The 2021 Formula 1 season concluded with a dramatic showdown between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi, leaving fans divided over the controversial events surrounding the race's climax.

Throughout the season, Hamilton and Verstappen engaged in intense battles, but it all came to a head during the season finale.

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The contentious handling of a safety car restart allowed Verstappen to overtake Hamilton on the final lap, leading to a heated debate among fans, with Hamilton suggesting that the championship had been 'manipulated'

And Horner has now addressed the controversial events during an appearance on Sky's A League of Their Own.

Abu Dhabi 2021 remains a contentious topic for F1 fans

Horner dismissed the whole saga, claiming ignorance about why it was considered controversial. He then shifted the blame to Mercedes, citing a poor strategy as a contributing factor to the outcome.

"I mean Mercedes f****d up," he said. "They left poor Lewis out there on tyres that had done pretty much most of the race and we pitted with Max so he was on a fresh set of tyres.

"Max made the move and the interesting thing was where Max passed him it caught Lewis completely by surprise.

"After the race what Max told us was that he didn't intend to overtake there but he got cramp behind the safety car and he couldn't feel his left foot properly.

"So he thought 'Oh f*** it i'm going anyway'. And then when they were going down the straight he was trying to wake his left foot up to hit the brakes for the next chicane."

Max Verstappen's victory over Lewis Hamilton marked the start of the Dutchman's dominant streak

Addressing Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff's fury over the turn of events, Horner cheekily remarked: "I think he was just having a bad hair day.

“His hair is very important to him on the camera, and I think he was just having a bad day."

Christian Horner explains THAT F1 showdown between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton! ??

Brand new episode of ALOTO available on Sky On Demand & NOW TV.#F1 #Verstappen #ALOTO pic.twitter.com/GsVOQg6Pu6
— A League of Their Own (@ALOTO) November 20, 2023

Hamilton has failed to find a return to form since the 2021 season, failing to secure a victory in the new era of regulations despite securing pole position in Hungary earlier this year.

Verstappen, on the other hand, has remained at the top by securing the drivers’ championship in 2022 and 2023.