{"id":79649,"date":"2025-08-19T10:13:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T10:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/79649\/"},"modified":"2025-08-19T10:13:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T10:13:09","slug":"f1-news-wolff-reflects-on-ahole-horners-role-in-championship-fights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/79649\/","title":{"rendered":"F1 news: Wolff reflects on \u201ca**hole\u201d Horner\u2019s role in championship fights"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Wolff
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tToto Wolff says his rivalry with Christian Horner helped shape the early 2020s. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n

Horner was removed from his role as Red Bull team principal and CEO after the British Grand Prix<\/a>, in a decision that shocked the paddock and ended his 20-year leadership of the Milton Keynes outfit.<\/p>\n

He had overseen Red Bull\u2019s rise from newcomers in 2005 to a dominant force, winning eight drivers\u2019 titles and six constructors\u2019 championships, including Max Verstappen\u2019s recent run of success.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Formula.hu, Wolff reflected on Horner\u2019s controversial exit and the rivalry that defined their years together in the sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do I think? Well, that he has behaved like an asshole quite often over the last 12-15 years,\u201d Wolff said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe operates according to completely different values, but even the greatest enemy has a best friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the other hand, he was extremely successful in what he did. Now that he\u2019s gone, at least for a while, a real personality has left the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rivalry between the pair escalated most dramatically in 2021, when Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen fought for the world championship in a season that culminated in one of F1\u2019s most contentious finishes in Abu Dhabi<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Their drivers\u2019 duel became intertwined with an increasingly bitter personal feud between Wolff and Horner, who traded public accusations and clashed repeatedly over the radio with then-race director Michael Masi, as well as a fiery argument at the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix captured by Netflix\u2019s Drive to Survive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose years, but especially 2021, weren\u2019t just about Max and Lewis, but also about Christian and me,\u201d Wolff said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s more, it was really difficult at times, and that\u2019s in all the history books and will remain there.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, he always said that I loved to hate him. So who should I hate now? It looks like I\u2019ll have to find someone else\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Horner left the sport as F1\u2019s second most successful team principal in terms of race wins, with 124 victories, trailing only Ron Dennis (138). In terms of tenure, only Frank Williams (44 years), Ken Tyrrell (31 years), and Dennis (30 years) spent longer in the role.<\/p>\n

Wolff said he was also one of the last types of \u201cold school\u201d F1 bosses on the grid.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking at it purely from an F1 perspective, I don\u2019t think there are many old-style team boss dinosaurs left here,\u201d he joked. \u201cMaybe just me. Maybe Fred [Vasseur] is a bit of a dinosaur too.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also admitted Horner\u2019s departure leaves a significant gap in F1\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was controversial and divisive, but he was one of the main characters here. We can safely say that he was as significant as one of a driver,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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