Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has revealed what he said to an emotionally exhausted garage after Lewis Hamilton pipped Max Verstappen to victory in Saudi Arabia. With last Sunday playing host to the latest instalment in a season packed with controversy, Horner and the team have one more challenge to overcome in Abu Dhabi next time out.
Horner appeared deflated after the race, which saw Hamilton take the chequered flag first after an intense battle with Verstappen.
With neither competitor willing to give up the lead quietly, the pair collided on two separate occasions which led to fury in both garages.
FIA race director Michael Masi was kept on his toes all evening, slapping two time penalties to the Red Bull man and ordering Hamilton to be allowed past in the closing stages.
Tensions are now through the roof between Mercedes and Red Bull camps, with Horner clearly hungry to call time on the Silver Arrows’ dominance over the past few years.
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“They’re a team that nobody has come anywhere close to in the last seven years. We have thrown everything at this year.”
Although Horner is hungry to end Mercedes’ time on top, it may be left to Verstappen to pursue individual glory after the Silver Arrows’ performance in Jeddah.
A last-gasp podium for Valtteri Bottas, coupled with Hamilton’s race win and Sergio Perez’s retirement has seen Toto Wolff’s team open up a healthy lead in the Constructors’ standings.
With one race remaining, Mercedes would have to suffer a disastrous turn of events in Abu Dhabi to let their 28-point lead slip.
As for the drivers, things could not be more finely balanced as both Hamilton and Verstappen head to the final race on 369.5 points apiece.
With Abu Dhabi set to play host to a straight shoot-out between the fierce rivals, the Dutchman carries in a slight advantage by virtue of his nine race wins for the season, as opposed to Hamilton’s eight.
As such, if neither car makes it to the finish line, the title will go to the 24-year-old.
While neutrals will hope that it does not get to that point, Verstappen’s dogged defence in Jeddah, which twice led to contact between himself and Hamilton, has prompted many to anticipate a dirty fight for the crown.
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