Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and Red Bull boss Christian Horner have reignited their rivalry in the latest debate over the technical regulations.
Mercedes have been pushing for changes to the rules for several weeks due to the potentially detrimental long-term health effects of “porpoising,” the phenomenon that came with the arrival of ground effect aerodynamics.
The FIA introduced a technical directive to stop that at the Canadian Grand Prix, and the measurements taken from that weekend will inform some new rules imposed at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Excessive oscillation will be acted on by the governing body, and moving skid blocks will not be permitted from Spa onwards.
READ: Toto Wolff praises ‘clever’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, comments on Mercedes’ reliability
Also proposed are changes next year that include raising the front wing edges as well as the diffuser throat.
This will prevent the cars from running too low to the ground but, more cynically, it could also hinder the performance of Red Bull and Ferrari.
They feel as though the Silver Arrows are trying to swing the rules in their favour after their disappointing 2022 thus far, but Wolff has rubbished his counterpart’s concerns.
READ: Christian Horner warns Toto Wolff against ‘illegal’ summer work
“Clearly when you’re running in the front you just want to just make sure that nothing changes,” he said.
“I think he’s just bored at the front, so good for him.”
Horner’s retort related to Wolff’s alleged intentions to work through the summer to improve the W13.
There is a 14-day shutdown during the summer break during which nobody from the team is allowed to work on the car, so the 48-year-old cautioned the German side against that.
“I heard that Toto is said to have said that they are working through the summer break to improve the car, that would of course be illegal,” stated Horner.
Max Verstappen and Sir Lewis Hamilton may not be competing for the title this year, but the bad blood between their team bosses is still very much there.