“I don’t even know what that means”: Mercedes boss is surprised by Christian Horner’s ‘pantomime dame’ comment

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he has no idea what the Red Bull boss’s latest remarks meant during their latest series of verbal duels. 

Horner and Wolff have shared a unique rivalry over the years. They have both been very successful in leading their respective F1 teams to multiple Championship titles. Throughout doing so, they have often exchanged quite a few strong words about each other.

Ahead of this week’s Mexican Grand Prix, Wolff called his Red Bull counterpart a “protagonist in a pantomime”. Horner said that he is “flattered”.

However, he added that “a protagonist always needed an antagonist”, and Wolff would suit that role well. “If it were a pantomime, maybe a pantomime dame role might suit him”.

The Mercedes team principal had no response to this. “I don’t even know what that means to be honest!” said the Austrian.

Also read: Red Bull boss says he is disappointed with his Mercedes counterpart for suggesting a ‘Championship deciding crash’

I respect Horner’s work as a manager, says the Mercedes boss

Toto admits that he and Horner are very different people. But that does not take away the respect he has for him. “I just said he is like an actor. He very much likes to see himself out there and he enjoys the battle in the same way I enjoy it.”

“We are very different people. I am more trying to concentrate on what is important without overthinking how I want to be perceived by the outside world, which may make us different. “But I very much respect his work as a team manager, and he is adding to the show.”

Also read: Toto Wolff disagrees with Lewis Hamilton that title rival Max Verstappen is under pressure to win maiden championship