Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed the replies he received from Max Verstappen and Christian Horner to his text messages congratulating them on the 2021 Driver’s World Championship.
According to GPFans, Verstappen texted Mercedes boss back with a reply of: “Thank you very much. It was a tough battle, I am looking forward to next year.” for his congratulatory message after winning the 2021 driver’s title.
As for Horner, Wolff is quoted as saying: “He wrote that it was a good duel and that we must not forget we are eight-time Constructors’ Champions.”
Both teams involved in an epic season long battle for the championship. Red Bull clinched the driver’s title on the very final lap of the season, while Mercedes clinched their eighth construction championship in a row.
The tight battle caused a strain in the relations between the teams and the respective star drivers, it approached boiling point during some race weekends. But the text conversations between them is a proof to the theory that beneath all the verbal jousting there is an underlying respect between the teams, most commonly seen outside of the paddock.
That was illustrated when Verstappen and Wolff bumped into each other at a restaurant in Monaco just as the championship battle was nearing its peak.
Verstappen revealed: “The relationship – I think I can be a forgiving person, but at the moment it’s still all so new…that it’s better not to talk about it too much.
“But I saw Toto in Monaco before Saudi, I had a dinner and he was sitting on the table next to me and we had a chat. He, of course, goes flat out for his team and I know mine also do everything they can.”
