The team principal on his rivalry with Toto Wolff, marriage to Geri Halliwell, and whether F1 really is as dramatic as it looks on Netflix
At the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix in early October things are getting lively. It is nighttime there, and thunderous downpours and humidity have been relentless for most of the weekend but the mood is charged: the glamorous Marina Bay Street Circuit has attracted record-breaking weekend attendance of 302,000.
The start of the race has been delayed for an hour due to the conditions, and Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle is flailing around on the grid looking for someone to talk to and coming up only with Will.i.am, who is here because he was performing the night before, and who talks in an American way about ‘racers’ and ‘race cars’.
The current world champion, Red Bull’s driver Max Verstappen, has recovered from yesterday’s strop when his team’s mistake with fuel during qualifying meant he has to start in eighth position on the grid, on a track where it is notoriously difficult to overtake. It will now be a long shot for him to win.
But Red Bull is flying high, heading for its first championship double since 2014. Verstappen has won the last five races in succession, and its other driver, Sergio Perez, is in pole position today. Christian Horner, team principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, unruffled as ever, dismisses yesterday’s mistake with a shrug. ‘There’s everything to play for,’ he says.