Toto Wolff is one of the most stern opponents Christian Horner often has to deal with in the F1 paddock. The two team principals have gone above and beyond limits in battle against each other’s sides. However, as Horner faces some serious allegations of “inappropriate behavior” against a Red Bull employee, Wolff doesn’t feel right to stir the pot further. The Mercedes boss highlighted that this is not “an intra-team” or sporting matter, so it wouldn’t be right to use his influence to coerce some outcome in this situation.
As quoted by Junaid on Twitter (now X), Wolff said, “As a team, if we go beyond what we’ve said, it looks like it is a battle between competitors in Formula 1. And I don’t want to reduce that topic to this level. It is a much wider issue that deserves more space.”
The Austrian prefers to be more ethical and maintain his integrity in the most murky situations. Despite Horner being his adversary, Wolff has opted to speak diplomatically and hoped for a transparent conclusion to this saga. The 52-year-old cited that the “FIA or the legal” personnel are the ones who should look into the matter and ensure things get clear soon.
Meanwhile, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem claimed the situation to be “damaging” to the sport. Ben Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali also met with Horner ahead of the season-opening Grand Prix in Bahrain.
Do you have any means to exert your influence as a group of teams? Could you not make a presentation to the authorities? Have you done that? Or is all you can do just answer comments in the media and put your views out there that way?
Toto Wolff: As a team, if we go beyond…. pic.twitter.com/tiWjhgHHZP
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) March 3, 2024
While Red Bull have “dismissed” the grievance against Horner, things have escalated on the public forums since then. Given that some alleged evidence of the investigation has been leaked to major F1 entities and major media personnel, Wolff‘s diplomatic and integral stance seems apt, and other team bosses are also following suit.
Is Christian Horner still in trouble amid the alleged information leak?
From Red Bull GmbH’s end, Christian Horner seems to be in the clear as they have concluded their investigation. The complainant may or may not look to go for legal proceedings, however, no reports have come out to indicate the same.
On the other hand, the leaked information that allegedly included evidence from the investigation is also difficult to verify for authenticity. Many people on social media, including renowned journalists, have been commenting on how authentic this information could be. Some suggested that the pictures may also be AI-generated.
Nonetheless, Horner has denied commenting on this leak and is sticking to the cue cards to avoid saying anything as Red Bull’s internal investigation ended. After the Bahrain GP, the 50-year-old appeared in front of the media.
Once again, the Red Bull boss ensured to address all questions in the most diplomatic way possible. As things stand, Horner is retaining his job as the team principal for the Milton Keynes team.
However, Jos Verstappen, the father of Max Verstappen, is not in favor of the same. After his son’s Bahrain GP triumph, Jos exclusively told Daily Mail that there would be “tension” in the team if Horner stays.
He added, “The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He (Horner) is playing the victim when he is the one causing the problems.”
There have been reports of Jos Verstappen being against the British boss in this entire saga. So, this may not be the end of the story despite Horner being in the clear for now.
