When people are asked about rivalries in F1, they think about the likes of Senna vs Prost or Hamilton vs Verstappen. However, over the last few years, one of the biggest rivalries in the sport has been away from the F1 track. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner have both been at each other’s throats for some time now.
Horner and Wolff have both led their respective teams to huge successes. However, being the two most successful teams of this generation, developed a rivalry between them which escalates to animosity in certain instances.
The tensions between Wolff and Horner were at an all time high during the 2021 season. Their star drivers Hamilton and Verstappen were battling for the Title out on track, whereas they themselves were engaged in a verbal battle off it. They openly disrespected & took digs at one another throughout the course of the campaign, which ultimately ended in Red Bull’s favor.
Also read: Max Verstappen Precisely Points Out His ‘Very Rare’ F1 Win in 2022 Season
Toto Wolff says he lives ‘rent free’ in Christian Horner’s head
During an interview with The Times, Wolff once again took a dig at his Red Bull counterpart. When asked what he thinks about Horner, the 51-year-old insisted that thinking about him is a waste of time. Wolff added that Horner lives in his head ‘rent free’.
“I am living in his head rent-free,” said Wolff. “The guy is obsessed. Every second that I spend on talking about Horner is a waste of time in my life.”
It seems as though the rivalry between them is nowhere close to being over. In fact, Wolff took the first punch ahead of their potential battle for the Title once again in the 2023 season.
Will Mercedes and Red Bull continue their rivalry in 2023?
2022 was a very successful year for Red Bull. The Milton-Keynes-based outfit won their first constructors” championship title since 2013 and Verstappen clinched his second consecutive drivers’ title with ease.
Mercedes meanwhile, really struggled in 2022. The Silver Arrows fell from grace after dominating the sport for eight years. They won just one race throughout the year and finished P3 in the standings behind Red Bull and Ferrari.
Heading into 2023, the two teams are expected to battle it out for the crown. Verstappen’s early dominance in 2022 allowed Red Bull to start the work on their 2023 car quite early. Meanwhile Mercedes, are expected to pick themselves up and enter the Title picture once again.
