Horner fires back at Wolff: 'Shows a total lack of understanding'

Horner even reacted very irritated to Wolff's words: "It shows a total lack of understanding of how a race car and team develop, if Toto thinks that we're developing a car around a single driver. So, you know, you develop a car to be as quick as you can, and sometimes quick cars are difficult cars. That's what's historically been the case, and I think that drivers adapt, the good drivers adapt."

"You see it in wet conditions, mixed conditions, varied conditions. You know, the elite, they adapt quickly, and I think that's one of his key skill sets is his ability to adapt to the feeling and the grip levels that a car gives him. But there's certainly no direction to say we tailor something to suit one specific driver. We're just trying to design and build the fastest car that we can, that our tools, our simulation, our wind tunnel, you know, provide us with that direction."

Verstappen always stays cool

No matter what happens this season; wind, rain, safety cars or whatever. Max Verstappen has managed to parry all challenges all season long. Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing's team boss, can - not for the first time - be all but laudatory about it. As the Grand Prix weekend in Italy is already in full swing - Verstappen finished FP1 at Monza as fastest - Horner took a final look back at what had happened at Zandvoort a week ago. Under all circumstances, Verstappen kept his cool there, eventually taking his ninth consecutive win.

"Last week, again, was insane, the amount of pressure, the noise on the grid, the atmosphere, the demand from the crowd," Horner said. "It's basically like being in a three-day techno party throughout that weekend. And to see how he dealt with that in qualifying was the first challenge, and then in the race with the rain on the grid, and obviously we pitted at the end of the second lap, and that had dropped him down the order. A lot of drivers, it would have got to them at that point, but he kept his head, he kept calm, and then his pace from thereafter was absolutely phenomenal. And again, another very, very impressive race, a masterclass from him. And under such pressure, it's impressive, very impressive how he deals with that."

Of course, Red Bull Racing has worked with top drivers in the past. But there has never been anyone like Max before, says Horner. "No. Sebastian Vettel is a different driver, and he achieved incredibly impressive results, but a very different character to Max. And the way he deals with that pressure, when you've got the Royal Family queuing up your car to wish you well just before you step in, it's hugely impressive the way that he's dealt with that expectation and that pressure. The only reason we're racing in Zandvoort is because of him. That's a big burden on his shoulders."