Max Verstappen has insisted he feels like the Formula One world champion and any move by Mercedes to try and take away the title in court would not change that. ‘We’ve welcomed Max home to the team today as the world champion,’ said Horner. Asked whether Red Bull might pull out of the sport if Mercedes were to win an appeal, Horner chose his words carefully. Wolff sent a text later in the evening, as he did also to Verstappen, congratulating Red Bull on the drivers’ championship. Horner said Mercedes’ dispute was with the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) and race director Michael Masi and not Red Bull, who did nothing wrong but were an interested party.

Follow MotorMouth on social media:

• 
• 
• 
•