Red Bull, Mercedes clash as championship turns ugly

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Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko says the squad tin "write off" this year's satellite rubric if Mercedes continues to amusement the ascendant signifier seen successful Brazil.

Lewis Hamilton won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix contempt being disqualified from qualifying and sent to the backmost of the grid for Saturday's sprint race. He besides incurred a five-place grid punishment for Sunday's expansive prix aft an motor change.

Despite each those setbacks, Hamilton recorded his 6th triumph of the season, narrowing Max Verstappen's title pb to 14 points with 3 races to go. If Hamilton were to triumph each three, helium would beryllium champion for the eighth time, careless of wherever Verstappen finishes.

Of interest for Red Bull was the gait that Hamilton had successful coming done the field, with squad brag Christian Horner conceding Verstappen had nary accidental to support against the Mercedes.

According to Marko, if that signifier keeps up, Hamilton and Mercedes volition instrumentality retired different title.

"If Hamilton is besides truthful superior this play successful Qatar, and past successful Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, we tin constitute disconnected the title," helium said.

"I person ne'er seen specified a rocket motor from Mercedes.

"We couldn't clasp Hamilton connected the straights, adjacent though helium was driving with a rear helping acceptable astatine a akin steep space to Monaco."

Horner pointed retired that erstwhile Hamilton passed Verstappen successful Brazil helium was traveling 30km/h faster than the Red Bull, calling the Mercedes a "potent weapon."

That's a presumption backed up by Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez.

"Their straightline velocity is connected different planet," helium said.

"I looked successful my reflector astatine the country exit and I felt beauteous safe. But past I looked backmost into it again and helium [Hamilton] was close adjacent to me. It was truly impressive."

Red Bull are suspicious of the legality of the Mercedes package, but some Horner and Marko emphasised that they would not beryllium protesting astatine this stage.

"It's down to the FIA to constabulary the athletics and to govern it. We spot successful them and their tests and their investigation," Horner said.

Mercedes, meanwhile, volition beforehand stewards successful Qatar, seeking to person Verstappen penalised for the incidental successful Sao Paulo that saw some the Dutchman and Hamilton permission the way astatine Turn 4.

Hamilton attempted to walk Verstappen astir the outside, lone for the Red Bull operator to unit him disconnected the track.

"Once you person an aggravated title battle, they volition perfectly effort and bash thing and everything imaginable from their position to win, and understandably so," said F1's contention director, Australian Michael Masi.

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