Mercedes boss Toto Wolff challenged to a boxing match by rival boss ahead of debut Las Vegas F1 GP

Zak Brown has challenged Mercedes chief Toto Wolff and Red Bull chief Christian Horner to a boxing match at the 2023 Las Vegas GP. The McLaren CEO claims he had a conversation with the two team principals about racing each other at Silverstone during the British GP weekend.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the Australian GP, Brow said:

“We were talking about racing Christian in Silverstone [host of the British Grand Prix], because I used to race against Christian. And I've talked to Toto about it, we'll see if he's up for it. When we go Vegas, what's Vegas known for? Little boxing match? I'm ready.”

Brown’s idea to challenge the Mercedes and Red Bull chiefs in a race stems from the history he has with Horner. The McLaren and Red Bull bosses raced against each other prior to their tenure in F1.

Whether Wolff and Horner agree to the challenge remains to be seen, but at the moment there is an ongoing conversation to revive the pantomime off-track theme that was popularized in the 2021 title battle.

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Mercedes boss reckons they have made a step forward after podium at the Australian GP

Toto Wolff believes Mercedes have improved and shown signs of progress after Lewis Hamilton secured a second place in the Australian GP. The Briton was able to manage his pace and keep Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin at bay throughout the race.

Speaking after the Australian GP, Wolff said:

“We had strong pace today, and it was really close with the Aston Martins and the Ferraris. That is good news for us, and I think we have made a step forward this weekend, both on one lap and race pace."

He continued:

"We maximised what we have, and we need to now comb through the data and continue to learn about the car. This will help bring the upgrade packages, and that will be the key in challenging the leaders more often.”

While Aston Martin and Mercedes matched each other closely in terms of race pace in Melbourne, it is understood that this could also be track-specific.

Most teams are expected to upgrade their cars heavily for the Azerbaijan GP in Baku. But it will take another two race weekends to finally determine the pecking order of the grid.