While it lasts, of course. Because Wolff recognizes that the rivalry is part of it. “A lot is at stake, because it is about the world title in Formula 1,” said the Austrian on the first day of testing in Barcelona. “Nobody wants a permanent controversy, but at the same time it’s something you can expect. You do everything you can to defend the team. I don’t know if I enjoyed it, but it’s part of my job. There has been so much talk about Abu Dhabi. At some point, that becomes harmful for everyone involved. We have now closed the chapter.”
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Colleague Horner calls the speeds of the new Formula 1 cars ‘encouraging’. He also does not want to talk too much about the discussions around the last race in Abu Dhabi, where his leader Max Verstappen won the world title.
“Maybe we have different opinions, but that’s over now. We saw a great battle last year from the first to the last race. That has been hugely important for the rise in Formula 1’s popularity. Due to the biggest rule change in roughly forty years, we are now facing a complete reset, with other teams possibly also signing up for the fight at the front.”