The history of Formula 1 is full of transcendental rivalries that have gone beyond the mere sport, although what Wolff and Horner have unleashed is not the correct way to act according to Andreas Seidl.
The war on the track between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton has long since been synchronized with the side battle between Red Bull and Mercedes in the offices. But… When did it all start?
The tensions had been latent since the beginning of the season, when those of Toto Wolff proclaimed to the four winds that the FIA had devised a change in the regulation by and to harm them exclusively, with those commanded by Christian Horner pointing to the Mercedes front wing as illegal before pointing to the rear one in the recent history of this contest.
However, the truth is that in the last Brazilian Grand Prix the jar of essences ended up being uncovered, with a Wolff who came to recognize that the FIA makes him “laugh” by not sanctioning Verstappen for a maneuver against his pupil that was about to put both of them out of the game prematurely, the beginning of a controversy that to-day Today has no end.
Other level
Incendiary statements of this caliber aside, everything took on a new dramatic tinge when Horner called it “insolent” to a commissioner in Qatar for signaling with double yellow flags an incident that resulted in a 5-second penalty for Verstappen, thus completely destroying any attempt to battle Hamilton at Losail.
At McLaren they consider that this behavior is unworthy of a Formula 1 team, something totally out of place. «If you look at everything that is currently happening, it is clear, obviously, that the stakes are high», Began by analyzing Andreas Seidl, the head of papaya training on the circuits.
“It is different in the battles of those who are further behind. Evidently it’s cool to some extent for the fans and the show, because in the end it must also be entertainment, but I definitely think that some of the comments that we have seen in the last few weeks are not something that you could imagine coming from us in such a situation, “added Seidl.
Respect in any case
«I think it is very important, and It doesn’t matter if you’re fighting for wins or if you’re the last, that you always maintain respect for your rivals, for the FIA, for Formula 1. We are in this together, it is relevant that there is respect for the volunteers who help us, after all, to carry out the weekends of careers, “he concluded.
The tension of the moment was the mitigating factor that Horner claimed at the time, a circumstance that for Michael Masi is not legitimate in any way, thus advocating a formula in which deference to volunteers is paramount.
‘It seems to me that no one should be attacked, especially when we have thousands of volunteer commissioners around the world who spend an enormous amount of time. Without them, this sport that everyone carries in their heart would not be possible. I will defend any volunteer from any circuit, that is not acceptable, “said Masi.