Horner on Wolff: 'He bites easily, so it's fun to wind him up a bit'

During last season there was not only a battle on the track between Mercedes and Red Bull. Outside of the track, the teams were regularly at each other's throats as well. Team bosses Toto Wolff (Mercedes) and Christian Horner (Red Bull) almost always played the leading roles.

Relationship

No, they are not friends, Wolff and Horner. That's pretty clear. So what are they? In an interview with the English newspaper The Daily Mail Horner elaborates on their relationship. "My relationship with Toto is... you know, it's professional. He's not the kind of guy I'm going to go and have dinner with or spend private time with, but I have a respect for what he's done and what he's achieved. Of course, as far as I'm concerned, 2021 is done and dusted. It's now all about 2022. Will he be the main opponent this year? I have no idea."

Horner says he has no personal problems with Wolff. "He's the kind of guy that bites quite easy, so it's always fun to wind him up a bit. But he's not a bad guy, that's for sure," Horner tells the newspaper.

Backstabbing

Still, Horner is not completely free of resentment. For that, his thoughts still go back to the end of last season, without mentioning Wolff by name. "I felt what was going on behind the scenes over the Christmas period was a bit underhand. The pressure that was put on the FIA, the positioning, the pressure that was put on the race director, to try to discredit what we had achieved. The reality was Michael Masi didn't break their own rules."