Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has revealed that he received a text message from long-time Formula 1 counterpart Christian Horner after his exit from Red Bull.
Horner was a controversial character in the F1 paddock, holding his role as Red Bull boss up until this season’s British Grand Prix, when Laurent Mekies replaced him.
On his way to leading one of the most successful teams on the grid, though, Horner upset many, including Wolff, as their teams battled over both titles back in 2021.
Fast forward to 2024, and the rivalry was just as fierce with McLaren CEO Zak Brown as the team asserted its dominance over the field, much to the chagrin of Horner.
Wolff opened up on what it had been like without his greatest adversary, who remarked that the Austrian was going to be lost without his divisive rival in the paddock.
“He said to me: ‘What are you doing now, because you love to hate me and I’m gone!’” Wolff divulged to media including Motorsport Week.
“It’s a bit ambivalent because, A, his track record is very good – one of the most successful in Formula 1. So, clearly, there are things he’s done well.
“Within the team, I think he was, to a certain degree, respected in Milton Keynes.
“But then we didn’t often have the same opinion or perspective. So, he’s been a wonderful, great enemy over the years.
“Am I missing him? It’s quite strange to come here, and Christian’s not going to be around. I mean, what are you doing with him not around? That’s a bit weird.”
How Horner’s exit has changed Red Bull and Mercedes dynamic
Wolff spoke about how Mekies, Horner’s successor at Red Bull, offers an entirely different dynamic. The calmer head of Mekies allowing for a less hostile approach.
“And then you have the pragmatism of Laurent Mekies,” he continued. “Suddenly, you can have a conversation about the long term.
“We’re just totally different people, but even your biggest enemy is your best friend.
The competition and needle between team bosses create headlines, with Wolff expressing that the sport needs people who are willing to be the pantomime villain.
“What I said is that every movie needs the good, the bad and the ugly. Now the bad is gone, it’s only Fred [Vasseur, Ferrari Team Principal] and I left… It took Fred a while to think about that,” Wolff deadpanned.
“The sport needs that. In the past, we had those massive characters, and I hope that some of the new team principals are going to grow into these roles in an authentic way, because you can’t fake it.
“Christian was one of those protagonists. He was outspoken, he was controversial, he was an ass, and he loved to play that role. You need an asshole, people need to hate someone.”
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