Christian Horner reveals Mercedes tried to snap-up his Red Bull drivers after Nico Rosberg retired
Red Bull boss believes he has the best pairing on the grid in Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen
CHRISTIAN HORNER has plenty of reasons to be happy ahead of the new Formula One season.
But the Red Bull boss sticks at naming just two; his star driver pairing of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, which he regards as the best on the grid.
Horner's dynamic duo are in demand, so much so that Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda came calling as soon as Nico Rosberg announced his shock decision to retire.
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It was a short telephone conversation as Horner sent the Austrian packing.
He said: "Mercedes had a sniff. Niki called me shortly after it all happened but it was always clear that our drivers are under long-term contracts and that they were happy where they were, so it was a short conversation and I wished him a happy Christmas.
"They are here for the next few years which is great for stability and continuity and I cannot think of two other drivers that I would like to have in the car."
Horner had the preside over the simmering relationship between Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel between 2009 and 2013.
And there are parallels emerging between his current stars; a straight-taking and experienced Aussie going up against the sport's new best thing.
And the Brit is bracing himself for more fireworks if they are regularly fighting for wins this season.
He added: "We have the most dynamic and best driver paring in Formula One.
"There is a good rapport and respect between the two drivers.
"Daniel has almost adopted the older brother role. They are living in the same apartment block in the south of France but they are also fierce competitors.
"However, I am sure they will be competing for the same piece of tarmac at some point of time.
"They are both very aware they driver for the team and represent us, but it is inevitable there will be pressure points throughout the year where they will be racing each other."
Verstappen underlined his potential with a victory on his debut for Red Bull in Spain last season, while his brilliant drive in the rain in Brazil is something you'd tell your grandkids about.
But what is even more impressive is that despite being only 19, he does it with a maturity of a seasoned-pro, largely thanks to his upbringing with his car-racing parents.
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Horner added: "Max has come from a racing background. It is not just his dad who raced, his mum also competed
"I raced against his mum when I was 13, she won actually. She was very quick in her day so he has come from a good pedigree and he has his feet firmly on the ground.
"That has been an enormous benefit and because he started so young, despite being only 19, he has an enormous amount of experience.
"He is a typical teenager who is having to earn his stripes against the rest of the grid and he had his elbows out on a few occasions last year.
"Other drivers have singled him out but it was water off a duck's back. Our advice to him was so long as you don't break the rules...
"Max's performances certainly did take the focus away from Daniel last year.
"For me he was driver of the year, he put in some enormous performances and was very consistent.
"He was right at the top of his game and had an amazing season last year and is hitting that purple patch in his career."
Horner and his wife, Geri, had a little boy during the winter break so he could be forgiven for taking his foot off the gas and spending some more time at home.
But the 43-year-old says he still gets a kick out of running the Red Bull Racing team and the desire to reach the stop-step of the podium is still just as strong as when he arrived on his first day in the job.
He said: "It has been a busy off season for me. We have welcomed a new recruit to the Horner family, that was thankfully on a Saturday, so I did not miss any work!
"But I still get a buzz against competing against great iconic teams like Ferrari, like Mercedes, McLaren and Williams.
"I still get a big a buzz today from when I first started 13 years ago.
"We had a very dominant cycle where we kept on winning, four double championships, which was a remarkable feat.
"Then with the regulation change in 2014, Mercedes have enjoyed a halcyon period and it is only inevitable that it will change again.
"That desire to win championships is just as strong, you only need to walk around the factory to get a sense of the desire to get back in to the winners' circle.
"Having tasted and experienced it, it becomes like a drug and is addictive and for people in this team it is always about trying to win."