Accusations between team leaders fueled Hamilton-Verstappen rivalry

It used to be Olympic boxing, turned professional and now it’s MMA. That’s how Toto Wolff, head of the Mercedes team, defined the battle with Red Bull throughout the season, especially with Christian Horner, who heads the rival team.

In a year marked by fierce disputes between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen on the tracks, the backstage fight between the teams amplified the rivalry between the drivers.

After seven years of hegemony —with seven driver’s titles and seven consecutive manufacturer’s titles—, the German team began to have an antagonism in F1. And it revived the competition in the pits seen in previous seasons, such as at the height of disputes between Ferrari and McLaren.

Mercedes ended up with the constructors’ title, with 613.5 points, against 585.5 for Red Bull. But the decisive day was a celebration of the Austrians, with the title of Verstappen. The Dutchman reached 395.5 and left Hamilton (387.5) behind on the last lap of the season.

The most heated discussions started in the middle of the year, especially at the British GP. On the second lap of the race, Hamilton tried to take the lead, Verstappen didn’t budge, and there was a crash. The Dutchman ended up on the wall. His rival overcame a punishment for what happened and won the victory.

At the time, Horner accused the Brit of having a “dirty” drive in the “desperate” attempt to gain the overtaking. Wolff snapped back and said the rival was trying to “smear the image” of his driver. It was the beginning of the harshest exchange of accusations that would continue until the end of the championship.

In Italy, at the Emilia-Romagna GP, it was Mercedes’ turn to criticize Verstappen, after the Dutchman hit Hamilton and flew his car over the rival’s vehicle, taking them both out of the race.

Hamilton reported headaches after the accident and was upset when Helmut Marko, a consultant for Red Bull, accused him of putting on a “show” after the accident. “It’s natural when a car falls on top of your head to be a little uncomfortable,” replied the Brit.

For Wolff, “it was clear to Max that this would end in a crash.” Horner said he was “disappointed” by the opponent’s vision.

The pressure from the German team would eventually result in a punishment for Verstappen, who lost five places on the starting grid of the following race in Russia.

In the final stretch of the championship, more debates. First in São Paulo, where there was no lack of controversy, such as Hamilton’s irregular rear wing, the new Mercedes engine and, above all, the incident during the race, when the Englishman tried to pass the Dutchman and saw the rival spread his car, throwing the two off track.

Verstappen was not punished in Brazil, causing irritation in the German team. On the eve of the race in Saudi Arabia, Horner tried to add more fuel to the fire by accusing Wolff of trying to make a media game in F1. Without the media, he said, he would be nothing.

“Underneath all that armor, Toto is a chicken,” he snapped. The race had an even heavier atmosphere, especially after Verstappen crashed Hamilton. Forced to return to position after being punished, the Dutchman suddenly braked, and the Englishman crashed into the back of his car.

Despite the incident, the Mercedes driver managed to stay on track and win. The Dutchman was punished for the maneuver and had 10 seconds added to his race time, something that was not enough to prevent him from finishing second. The German team was hoping for a heavier punishment, such as the disqualification of the rival.

The climate of the penultimate race of the year created an atmosphere of great anticipation for the final race. And she kept the pattern, with a touch between Hamilton and Verstappen on the first lap. The Dutchman wanted to punish his opponent, which didn’t happen.

At the end of the race, another discussion. With the safety car on track, Mercedes did not want Verstappen to be allowed to overtake the stragglers ahead. The FIA ​​authorized him and gave him the chance to pass Hamilton on the final lap to win the title.

While some drivers often complain that Netflix is ​​going overboard in creating rivalries in the production of the behind-the-scenes series Drive to Survive, the team bosses seem to enjoy creating a show of their own.

“We’re in the ring trying to do the best job possible. We took off the glove and fought,” said Wolff. “I respect what Mercedes and Lewis did [na F1], but I don’t need to have dinner with Toto and kiss his ass, like other bosses can. It’s the first time in seven years that they’ve been challenged,” said Horner.

In a season in which rivalry was huge on the tracks, the atmosphere was not much milder in the pits.