Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes Christian Horner’s perceived “sense of entitlement” ultimately “bit him in the end” at Red Bull.
And he reckons Horner “would have come up with all kinds of insults” had Red Bull and Max Verstappen missed out on the title at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Toto Wolff renews Christian Horner criticism after Red Bull exit
Horner stands as one of the most successful team bosses in F1 history having led Red Bull to six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ championships split evenly between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
The 52-year-old was sacked by Red Bull in July after more than 20 years in charge, with Laurent Mekies installed as his replacement as team principal and chief executive at the Milton Keynes team.
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Horner and Wolff were embroiled in a bitter rivalry over the course of the classic 2021 season as their respective drivers, Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, went head-to-head for the world championship.
Verstappen ultimately sealed his maiden title in controversial circumstances at the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, where the race director failed to implement the safety car rules correctly.
Hamilton, who has won just two races in the four years since being denied a record-breaking eighth title, was widely commended for his dignity in defeat at Yas Marina having led the race comfortably until the late safety car was called.
In a recent interview with the Telegraph, Wolff has conceded that Verstappen was the more deserving world champion of 2021 based on the overall balance of the season.
Yet he believes Horner would have handled it badly had Verstappen been in Hamilton’s shoes in Abu Dhabi.
And he claimed that Horner’s “sense of entitlement” ultimately triggered his downfall at Red Bull, where rumours of a power struggle plagued his final years in charge.
Asked if Horner has ever admitted that what unfolded at Abu Dhabi 2021 was wrong, Wolff said: “Never. He was never able to admit it.
“I try to look at it from the other side and, from their point of view, they deserved to be world champions.
“They had had some incidents that were unfair to them throughout the season and the outcome of that race is a fair representation of the performance levels during the season.
“But Christian was never able to admit the same – that if it was the other way round and had happened to them that day, it would have been catastrophic and he would have come up with all kinds of insults.
“And I think that the ability to be introspective, or be able to see the other side with some compassion, is a total gap in his personality.
“It’s the sense of entitlement he has. And that bit him in the end, because he felt entitled to all the power and Red Bull didn’t want to give him that power.”
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As revealed by PlanetF1.com, Horner reached a settlement with Red Bull worth $100million (£74.2m/€85.1m) in September.
Under the terms of his Red Bull exit, he is expected to be free to pursue a return to F1 at some point during the F1 2026 season.
It is believed that Horner is prioritising a shareholding and/or team-ownership-style position with his expected Formula 1 comeback, potentially in a similar role to that held by Wolff, who owns shares in the Mercedes team as well as acting as chief executive and team principal.
Horner has been linked to the likes of Aston Martin and Alpine since his Red Bull exit.
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