Wolff hints at Horner 'departure' from Red Bull: 'Would make life easier'

Toto Wolff and Christian Horner sat next to each other at the press conference in Miami, and so some jabs back and forth were to be expected. For instance, Wolff joked that Franz Tost's imminent departure from AlphaTauri might mean Horner is the next to go. A decision that would "make life easier", he states jokingly.

Recently, the storm has subsided somewhat between the two team bosses, but especially in the 2021 Formula 1 season, the combination of Horner and Wolff guaranteed fireworks. This was due to the heated battle that took place between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, which spread to the leaders of both teams.

Meanwhile, the occasional jab remains. At the press conference in Miami, Wolff wondered aloud whether Franz Tost, who is also in attendance, is the longest-serving F1 team boss. However, that is not Tost, but Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner. "So, you're next to go? Would make life easier," Wolff joked.

The Mercedes team boss also has some nice words to say for his compatriot Tost, whom he has known for a long time. "We have a past actually where we started racing was on the old Österreichring [now Red Bull Ring]. Both instructors in the same racing school, Walter Lechner Racing School. Obviously, Franz was there 45 years before me," laughs Wolff. "But we actually missed each other just by a bit, by a few years."

Wolff calls the AlphaTauri team principal's career "amazing". "An amazing career. There are not many of us who have been there for quite some time. So congratulations for everything you've achieved," his words towards Tost sound.