Horner gives Verstappen space: 'He is in a great shape now'

Christian Horner and Toto Wolff are not each other's best friends in the Formula 1 paddock. The mud-slinging has been happening for several years, culminating during the 2021 season. Even in recent months, however, the Red Bull and Mercedes team bosses left no stone unturned to corner each other.

Wolff recently stated in an interview that he is in Horner's head. The Daily Mail asked him about the Mercedes team boss' words. "I don’t take any interest in that. It’s a new season. I’m concentrating on what I’m doing. Competition is part of sport. I sleep well at night," was Horner's simple answer.

Verstappen immediately fast in RB19

During last week's winter tests in Bahrain, Verstappen immediately proved to have a good feeling in the 2023 car. In his first laps, he was immediately a lot faster than anyone else, Horner also noticed. "If you look at his first out lap of the test, Max comes in two-and-a-half seconds quicker than any other driver. His ability to get in and get on with it, I’ve never seen anything like it. There is no build-up or easing your way in."

Two-time world champion Verstappen indicated last week that he had gained and lost 10 kilograms in six weeks. His team boss thinks it is all fine. "He lives for a bit of freedom in the winter because he knows he has to give 11 months of chicken and lettuce. He’s a young guy and you need to give him that space. He’s in great shape. He’s on his weight, and he knocked out 160 laps on day one of testing and he looked fresh afterwards," he concluded.