Christian Horner takes aim at Toto Wolff with "pressure" quip

Red Bull

Horner takes aim at Wolff with "pressure" quip

Red Bull hold a healthy advantage over Mercedes in the constructors' championship

Ewan Gale

Wednesday 14 July 2021 12:44

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Christian Horner has suggested the challenge from Red Bull to Mercedes this season is a "new situation" for Toto Wolff with his team under pressure for the first time in his tenure.

Red Bull lead by 44 points in the constructors' championship whilst Max Verstappen holds a 32-point lead in the drivers' standings with Mercedes on the back foot in the quest for an eighth consecutive title.

Across the opening nine rounds of the season, Horner and Wolff have traded jibes with the Austrian labelling Red Bull's team principal a "windbag" in Azerbaijan.

However, speaking to BBC Radio 4, Horner insisted: "My relationship with Toto is absolutely fine.

"I respect him for what he has achieved with Mercedes. This, of course, is a new situation for him.

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"He has never been under pressure. He acquired a winning team so it is a different position for him to be under pressure and it is a question how you deal with pressure.

Asked if he was suggesting Wolff couldn't deal with the pressure exerted, Horner replied: "Not at all, it is great to see them finally pressurised and it is great to see that it is us that is enabled to take the fight to Mercedes."

Red Bull needs to "keep momentum running"

The gap in the constructors' championship is down largely to a string of five race wins in a row for Red Bull with Mercedes finding it difficult to recover from a disappointing two-race swing in Monaco and Baku.

With the summer break looming, Horner has stressed the importance of carrying momentum forward having made so much effort to be able to challenge for the title.

"We have worked hard to get ourselves back into a competitive position," added Horner.

"I think that Mercedes is such a strong team and with Lewis driving so well, finally this year, we have managed to start to mount a challenge and build some momentum and that has been fantastic.

"We just need to keep this momentum running."