MERCEDES boss Toto Wolff and Red Bull chief Christian Horner have clashed over the Austrian’s phone call to Jos Verstappen about his son Max.
Wolff has admitted to Sky Sports F1 he did discuss the Red Bull driver’s on-track approach during his conversation with Jos (himself a former F1 driver) but said that such calls between them were commonplace and was scathing in response when told of Red Bull’s unhappiness.
“I just want to have a great season finale and no controversy because of another car causing a collision and being blamed for having interfered in the championship,” said the Austrian.
“I did it probably out of a more holistic approach of sympathy for Max, but if things are perceived in the wrong way in another team they don’t need me, they need a psychiatrist.”
While team boss Christian Horner has criticised Wolff’s actions, Verstappen himself has shrugged off the controversy.
“I was next to my dad when he called,” the teenager told Sky F1. “He went outside, I was watching TV and didn’t want to be disturbed.
“I am just here to focus on my job and that is to drive fast for Red Bull, not Mercedes.”
Verstappen and championship leader Nico Rosberg made contact in Mexico as they battled over second place at the start of the race and the teenager was criticised by Wolff following the race.
The Austrian branded Verstappen “ruthless” and told reporters “you don’t bang wheels with the championship leader three races until the end” following the incident.
Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are fighting for the championship with the German leading his teammate by 19 points with two races remaining.
“Among my discussion with Jos, we talked through a situation, imagine the title is down to the wire between Lewis and Nico and there is a hard manoeuvre and Max loses it and shunts into one of our guys and the championship is over, he doesn’t need that discussion,” Wolff confirmed to Sky Sports F1.
“I didn’t say don’t race them, just keep that tiny little margin of avoiding a collision because that would be very controversial for everyone.”
Wolff and Verstappen in happier times.Source:Getty Images
However, Red Bull team principal Horner was surprised to learn a rival team had been discussing the driving of one of his drivers.
“Jos told me when he got here on Thursday and I was just a bit surprised that Toto was calling another driver’s father from another team,” the Red Bull boss told Sky Sports F1.
“I think Jos was a bit surprised when he put the phone down to Toto that not only was he commenting on behalf of Mercedes, but Ferrari as well that the way Max was conducting himself wasn’t winning him any favours and he should wind his neck in.
“I’ve not heard of a team principal calling up other driver’s fathers before, but obviously Toto felt the need to do so.”
Horner joked Mercedes could have their own private one-on-one race before the actual grand prix on Sunday if that is what Wolff wanted.
“I think it is total rubbish. If Toto wants to have a race for his drivers we can do that at 11am tomorrow then we can have the Grand Prix at 2pm where everybody can race,” he added.
Jos Verstappen, a former F1 driver himself, confirmed that he had received the call but tried to play it down and said he and Wolff often talked.
Wolff had pointed out that “it would be bad for Max if he was remembered for deciding the world championship through a reckless move”.
And Wolff explained: “It is not true that I complained. Jos and I are very friendly.
“We regularly talk and sometimes have dinner together so there was nothing unusual about our recent chat. I have no problem with Max at all.”
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone though was unimpressed with the Mercedes boss’ move: “It is nothing to do with Toto. He (Max) doesn’t drive for Toto and they don’t need any help do they because they have done a super job.”
BRAZILIAN GP QUALIFYING RESULTS
Ricciardo qualified sixth in Brazil.Source:Getty Images
DANIEL Ricciardo is looking forward to a wet Brazilian Grand Prix after qualifying sixth behind Lewis Hamilton who stormed to pole position. Joining the triple F1 world champion Hamilton on the front row for Sunday’s (Monday AEDT) race is Mercedes teammate and title rival Nico Rosberg.
On a damp and overcast Sao Paulo Saturday afternoon, it was the 60th pole of the Briton’s career, eight short of Michael Schumacher’s record, and his first in Brazil since 2012 when he was at McLaren.
With his title on the line, it was also one of Hamilton’s most important in a rollercoaster season marked by mechanical setbacks.
Australian Ricciardo was disappointed with his qualifying effort but hopes the forecast rain will arrive on race day to spice things up.
“Today it was teasing ... it was like little dusts of rain but tomorrow, hopefully it’s a bit more of a downpour,” Ricciardo said.
“I think it will give the viewers a bit more of an opportunity to see a good race.
“Nothing is guaranteed that if it rains it will be quick but I think we’ll have a lot more of a race on our hands.”
Rosberg will take his first championship if he wins the penultimate race of the season but Hamilton, 19 points adrift, showed he will do all he can to take the fight down to the wire in Abu Dhabi with another dominant qualifying display.
“This is the best I could have hoped for really coming into Brazil. It’s always a track that I struggled at,” said Hamilton, who has never won at the bowl-like anti-clockwise Interlagos circuit.
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen qualified third with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen joining the 2007 world champion on the second row of the grid.
Ferrari and Red Bull also shared the third row with Sebastian Vettel qualifying fifth ahead of a race that could well be wet, with showers forecast. The pole was a record 19th in 20 races this season for Mercedes.
Rosberg, winner from pole in Brazil for the past two seasons, was quicker than Hamilton at the first split on his final lap but then faded to finish with a best of 1:10.838.
“It was exciting qualifying, very close and Lewis was just marginally quicker in the end,” Rosberg said.
— with AAP, AFP
