They were never friends, more like enemies. Yet, Toto Wolff Feels the Void That Christian Horner Has Left after His Forced Departure from Red Bull. The Mercedes Team Boss Recognizes That Big Characters Are Important For Formula 1.
It Might Seem Strange To Make That Comparison With Team Bosses, But Wolff Without Horner is Like Ajax Without Feyenoord. Two Camps That Don’t Like Each Other, But Can’t Really Do Without Each Other. For Just Under Two Months, The Austrian Has had to do without Horner.
Ask Wolff if he misses horner, and the irritation immediately surfaces. “We are really complete different people. I have always tried to be transparent. If I don’t want to say something, I don’t say it. I’m not going to twist it,” he immediately battery rival rival. “But even your biggest enemy can Become your biggest friend.”
Wolff Takes Ample Time on Friday Evening at Zandvoort to discuss a range of issues, Including Horner.
The Austrian sits in the Mercedes Hospitality Area, from Where he has watched Horner Walk by For Years. “It’s QUITE Strange to come here now with the realization that he is no longer here.”
A Great Enemy Over The Years
The Two had some contact after the departure of the red bull team boss. “Hey Asked Me What I was Doing Now, because I Loved Hating Him So Much,” Says Wolff. “But Miss Him? It has two sides. His performances in this sport are of course good. Christian Has Been Very Successful in Formula 1, so he has clearly done something right. Within the team, he was respected to a certain extent.”
“But we or disagreugated,” Says Wolff with a smile. “We did have the same view on things. He was a great enemy over the years. And now you sauddenly have the pragmatic laurent mekies, with whom you can really have a conversation about the long term.”
Wolff Calls Horner’s French Successor Plug-and-Play , Someone You Can Use Immediately. “He is a gifted engineer, very pragmatic. He has no big ego. And maybe that position needed that to not caus even more polarias.”
Horner is missed as a main player
Yet Wolff also likes to look at the big picture, at the main players in a sport that has grown enormously worldwide in the last ten years. The Attention for Formula 1 is Colossal, not Least because of the success of the Netflix Docuseries Drive to Survive .
It is Therefore Not Surprising That Wolff Sees the Formula 1 Circus As A Kind Of Movie. “And Christian was one of the main players. He was outspoken, he was controversial, he was a jerk and really loved playing that role. And with that he was one of the great personalities of this sport.”
Wolff Continues in His Movie Metaphor, and Teases Good Friend and Ferrari Team Boss Fred Vasseur: “Every Movie has a the good, the bad and the ugly . Now Christian Is Gone and Only Fred and I are Left. It TOK A While’s,” “Laile to Realize,” Laile to Realize, “” Laile to Realize.
In a serious tone: “But the sport really needs that. We had those great characters in the past. And I really hope that a few of the new Team Bosses Grow Into Their Roles in an authentic way.
‘You Need A Jerk’
Vasseur, Like Andrea Stella (McLaren) and James Vowles (Williams), started in 2023. After Wolff, Who was Appointed in 2014, They are the longest-service team Bosses. These are not people with the same profile as horner. So Wolff Realizes That Netflix Will also Miss the Former Team Boss of Max Verstappen As a Main Player.
“Yes, for sure! You need a jerk. People need some to hate. Who is that going to be now?” The austrian looks around and understands that he’s own can be that. Laughing: “Yes, I’m Losing Control of the Story here. I’m the only one left. Last man standing . And in the movie, He’s Still shot Dead the Next Day. I have to be careful.”