The battle for the world title this season is between Max Verstappen(Red Bull Racing) and Lewis Hamilton(Mercedes), although it sometimes seems to be fought out mainly off the track by team bosses Christian Horner and Toto Wolff.
It looks like a playground
Johnny Herbert doesn't like the political games between Red Bull and Mercedes this season. In an interview with Formula 1 Magazine, he says that he likes the hard battle on track between Verstappen and Hamilton but that he is annoyed about Wolff and Horner fighting.
"It's part of the game, but it shouldn't be about them, it should be about the drivers," says the former Formula One driver. "This championship is about Max and Lewis, they are the gladiators. From a driver's point of view, I think it would be better if the team owners were less prominent. It seems like a playground sometimes."
Poor losers
Herbert, himself active in Formula 1 between 1989 and 2000 for Benetton, Lotus and Sauber, among others, quotes the race at Silverstone as an example. At the time Red Bull made an attempt to hand Hamilton a heavier penalty for the collision with Verstappen on the opening lap. "What was the point of that? I understand very well what they wanted to achieve, but it still felt a bit like they are bad losers at Red Bull."
The article is about how RBR are sore loser and the team needs to back off and let the drivers do the talking. Max is a hot head and don't think about getting to the finish line in 1 peice. Hamilton got tired of being bullied and pushed of track all 5he time. So when Hamilton decided to shut the door and Max didn't yell and crashed out, the bosses got involved and made it a bigger problem with there comments. If it was any other car a 10 sec would reck their race, but the Mercedes is too fast for 10 sec to matter. And that what the real issue is, but u can't have different rules for different teams. Look at Ferrari and the engine issue, nothing happened. Because the FIA is Ferrari and never forget that. Who's in charge of the FIA????
Herbert is usually not one to really take a swipe at anyone. His impartial judgement underscores how many professionals and ex-drivers, with so much knowledge and experience, are wanting RB to simmer down their rhetoric. RB should clip their own wings!
This is not about Silverstone. RB were shocked about Lewis and Mercedes response to MV's aggression. The incident was the catalyst that brought all that into the open. When MV and Ricciardo collided, we did not hear horner or Marko moan so much. F1 is bedevilled with shunts, bumps and accidents. RB's reaction is unprecedented. MV has been crashing into other drivers, but other teams have never complained as RB did and continues to do.
Johnny it isn't just about the drivers. There is a constructors battle also. It's obvious why R.B. wanted the penalty increased. Hamilton knocked Verstappen off (many people thought deliberately) then went on to score maximum points.
Merc was whining about bendy wings at the start of the season. Are they not bad losers? The hypocrisy is insane.
Oh and what about merc? Cried about the flexi wing and then cried about Honda engine at France and Austria… pathetic
Another let's shit on red bull story, while they have been absolutely shafted by mercedes the last 2 races.
You have to admitt Mercedes deserves top scores for the damage control they did after Silverstone. First with "we knew Verstappen is fine when we were celebrating" which is obviously not true. The timeline just doesn't support this - Verstappen was in the hospital for brain scans, he was discharged late in the evening, hours after the race. Mercedes only knew he isn't dead or seriously injured, that's not the same as "fine". Then playing the race card - Hamilton received racial abuse - and suddenly you can't critisise the driver or you'll be racist. And then, Red Bull is whining - sure, they got crashed out of the race twice in the row, but they have no right to complain, they probably should be thankfull to Mercedes, because it's just part of the game. No mr Herbert, winning by crashing your direct rival is not part of the game. It's something Schumacher was disqualified for. It's unbelievable how the British media are twisting the narrative. Now McLaren is also the injured party, same as Ferrari due to Stroll's mistake, and yet we are somehow to believe Mercedes is the victim here.
