The battle to catch Red Bull is hotting up as teams prepare their cars for 2024. The likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren will all be hoping to put up a better challenge in Formula One next season after Max Verstappen ran away with the Drivers’ Championship.
Mercedes’ inconsistency meant that they failed to remain anywhere near Red Bull, who had both titles wrapped up months before the end of a record-breaking season. Lewis Hamilton will be hoping that 2024 is the year he ends a two-year wait for a race victory.
A three-month break before the season starts will not deter teams from ensuring they are in excellent condition heading into the new year.
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Horner tells Mercedes they ‘f***** up’
Christian Horner insists Mercedes “f***** up” during the infamous 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that saw Max Verstappen controversially beat Lewis Hamilton to the world title.
Hamilton had led for most of the race before a safety car was deployed. Then-race director Michael Masi contentiously ordered that the final lap had to be started from the start line.
Verstappen, on softer tyres, burst ahead of Hamilton and won his first world title.
Mercedes and Hamilton were left fuming over the decision. But Horner says they messed up by leaving Hamilton on older tyres.
“Mercedes f***** up,” the Red Bull boss said on A League Of Their Own.
“They left poor Lewis out there on tyres that had done pretty much most of the race and we’d pitted with Max, so he was on a fresh set of tyres. Max made the move and…”
Hamilton snubbed
Lewis Hamilton has reached a new low after being snubbed by McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.
Stella was asked to name his top three drivers if they all had the same car.
Seven-time World Champion Hamilton did not make the list, emphasising his downfall in F1.
The McLaren chief also excluded his own driver, Oscar Piastri, from his top three.
He said: “My top three drivers with the same cars would be Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso.”
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