Christian Horner takes jab at Toto Wolff while sat next to rival

Christian Horner has suggested Red Bull manage their drivers “better” than Mercedes in a cheeky dig ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. The Red Bull team boss made the remark in Friday’s press conference as the pair discussed how best to manage team-mates who are battling for the championship.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez could be embroiled in a title duel with just six points separating the duo. The two Red Bull stars have two wins each so far this season with Perez showing genuine promise.

Wolff said: “From my past, it’s a super tricky job for Christian and the team, because both drivers will obviously try to always feel that they are fairly and equally treated whilst at the same time trying to have an advantage.

“In our team, it was important to maintain a lot of transparency and clarity, have discussions before we actually go racing on a Sunday, and put boundaries.”

He added: “But getting the balance right between accepting that these two guys are racing for a championship, and it’s within the same garage, and at the same time, they are part of a larger structure. I think that’s not always easy, because they are very competitive animals.”

In a cheeky response, Horner responded: “We do everything that Toto says but just better”. The 49-year-old then revealed the team “go to pains” to ensure equal treatment between their two stars.

He added: “I think that it’s a luxury problem. First of all, any team principal in the pitlane would hope to have that issue, and it’s something we’ve experienced before.

“The most key thing is to ensure that paranoia doesn’t creep in and that both drivers are treated equally.”

Red Bull have repeatedly stressed there is no feud at the team but their two drivers have clashed on occasions including a public argument after last year’s race in Sao Paulo. Perez also demanded a “review” at Red Bull and approached Verstappen for talks after this year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Mercedes had to endure their own intra-team battle when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were caught in a tense feud. The two drivers battle reached its explosive heights in 2016 with the two drivers colliding in Spain and Rosberg coming out on top.