F1 Gossip: Horner claims Wolff under ‘different’ pressure in 2021
- In an interview with the Guardian, Christian Horner has claimed that Toto Wolff is under a 'different' type of pressure as he's only experienced winning during his time with Mercedes.
He said: “He came into the sport with Mercedes in 2013 and the structure was already in place. Ross Brawn had built that team. Lewis had already been signed. Toto’s done a tremendous job operating the team and maintaining their performance. But of course he’s never experienced anything other than winning. So it’s a different type of pressure now. It’s tough.”
- Helmut Marko has revealed that ex-F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone helped Red Bull design guru Adrian Newey following his cycling accident in Croatia. (F1-Insider)
- Max Verstappen doesn’t see himself making the switch to IndyCar in the future.
The Dutchman told NBC Sports: “I love to watch. It’s of course a little bit different to F1, but I think that’s also nice and makes it very interesting to watch. And from my side, I’m of course happy to be in Formula One, because I’m not personally a big fan of ovals. The street tracks and road courses are good, but no, I would not be a big fan of oval racing myself.
“It’s just the risk of a big crash is big, and of course I know in Formula One there also is risk of an impact, but when you hit a certain wall with 200-plus mph, it’s not enjoyable. And that risk is higher in IndyCar, and especially if you would hit someone else and you go into the fence, there are plenty of examples where it doesn’t end well or you end up being really hurt. So for me, I love to watch it. I have a lot of respect for the drivers who do it, but I’m happy where I am.”
- 2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg has revealed that his early retirement from the sport cost him £100 million. (Squaremile)
- Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has welcomed reports that Andretti is set to takeover Alfa Romeo.
He told Reuters: “Andretti's a great name. I know the family and I think they'd be a great addition to the sport, if it's true. I don't know much about it other than that I heard in the paddock last race that there was potentially some activity there.
“I think they did a SPAC in the States and said they were going to look to buy something in motorsports. I fully get it, I see the logic.”
- According to the Daily Mail, Max Verstappen has been voted as F1’s most popular driver. The results will be officially revealed soon as part of the official Global F1 Fan Survey.
- Daniel Ricciardo says he is at peace with the idea of never having the chance to win an F1 title.
Speaking to F1's Beyond The Grid podcast, Ricciardo said: “There was a time where I was a little bit bitter, like, 'I should have had a title by now, this sucks, why don't I, wrong place, wrong time', or this or that.
“But maybe that's the growth in me or the maturity where I don't think that anymore. I'm still here because I believe I can win a title and I want to win a title.
“But I'm at peace with whatever happens, as long as I go out and leave it all on the track, I'll get fulfilment.”
