Christian Horner Calls Out Toto Wolff’s Max Verstappen “Distraction” Days After E-Mail Scandal Emerged

Christian Horner finally broke his silence on Toto Wolff’s pursuit of Max Verstappen. After rumors emerged at the beginning of the season, everyone wanted to know if Max Verstappen would make the big switch to Mercedes. While there is no update from the defending champion about this, Mercedes has kept a seat empty, just in case. However, after Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius joined Wolff in expressing his desire to bring in Verstappen, Horner decided to give them a piece of his mind.

Following the Sprint Qualifiers at the Austrian GP, Christian Horner was asked about his take on Mercedes and their pursuit of Verstappen. To this, the Austrian responded, “Toto is trying to create a distraction.” Moreover, he gave Mercedes the solution of bringing Verstappen to their team with a coy response. “If he wants Verstappen, Jos is free; let him take him,” said Horner, shutting up the questions about his driver leaving the team. But why did he do that?

Horner knows that Jos Verstappen has been in talks with Toto Wolff following the Red Bull investigation. The team definitely wants to retain the defending champion, as Max Verstappen is currently the fastest driver in the world. Verstappen Sr. has already mentioned his distrust in Christian Horner’s management towards the beginning of the season. However, there has been no update on that in a while. Ultimately, all the Verstappens want from Red Bull is a championship-winning car.

Mercedes is currently going through a crisis of its own. They not only have a seat to fill, but the team has also been involved in a scandal. An alleged employee sent a letter to F1 personnel claiming that Mercedes sabotaged the Canadian Grand Prix for Lewis Hamilton. Is this what Toto Wolff could be causing a distraction from, according to Christian Horner?

Mercedes comes under target of an anonymous email

The Canadian Grand Prix was the turning point for Mercedes in the season. The team that was struggling at P4 is now a podium finisher in the last 2 races, despite losing to Max Verstappen. However, after coming P4 in Montreal, Lewis Hamilton expressed how he was unhappy with the race. Claiming that this was the worst race of his career, although it was the best finish he had this season, left many fans in confusion.

However, after the comment from Lewis Hamilton, there was an email circulated to everyone that came from a person who claimed to be a Mercedes staff member. The email was received by the same people who got the WhatsApp texts from the Christian Horner investigation. It was obvious that Toto Wolff denied all allegations and stated that the mail was not from any of his staff. To figure out who was responsible for the email, Wollf then called upon a police investigation.

In the end, the police dropped the case as they stated that there was no crime committed. After the disappointment in Montreal, Lewis Hamilton finally reached the podium in Spain. He redeemed himself, driving a car he is more comfortable with. With that said, what do you think about the current state of Red Bull and Mercedes’ rivalry? Will Max Verstappen make the move? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.