Christian Horner reopens Toto Wolff feud claiming Mercedes have it 'quite easy'
Without a proper rivalry in the paddock, Christian Horner believes Toto Wolff is coasting at the top of Formula 1.
Throughout his years in Formula 1, Christian Horner had established many rivalries across the sport, but the one that will live in memory the longest is his disputes with Toto Wolff.
In the latter years of Horner’s time with Red Bull, his team consistently came up against Wolff and Mercedes in the title fights.
Red Bull was the team who were able to break Mercedes’ dominance in Formula 1 when they won the 2021 title with Max Verstappen.
However, Horner now believes that Mercedes and Wolff have things ‘quite easy’ in the sport, as they look certain to win their first Drivers' title since 2020 and Constructors' title since 2021.
During an interview with the Guardian, Horner said, “Toto’s got it quite easy at the moment. Zak Brown is compromised because he’s using Toto’s engine, so he can’t ruffle feathers.
“All sport needs rivalry, whether it’s Ferguson and Wenger, Mourinho and Guardiola. It percolates and polarises. I used that to galvanise good people to take on Mercedes.”
He went on to discuss his record in Formula 1 and how he wishes he had been able to see the Red Bull-manufactured engine take its first victory.
Horner stated, “Nobody could take away the 124 wins and 14 championships. But I felt particularly hurt and robbed; I didn’t have the opportunity to see that Powertrains engine win.”
Horner watched Verstappen take the new engine to victory in Sepang and said, “I felt very proud seeing what it meant to everybody and that they sent the Powertrains representative on to the podium.
“I had messages throughout the team, and I texted Max after the race. He was very magnanimous, and it was a landmark moment to see that engine win. It reinforced to me that, if you assemble the right people with the right culture and the necessary tools, anything is possible.
“Red Bull has been the maverick team. It’s pushed the boundaries. Only Red Bull would do something crazy enough to build a new engine as a subsidiary of a fizzy drinks manufacturer. Its mantra was to be nonconformist, to be a disruptor. It’s a little different now.”
