Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has never been shy of a spicy soundbite. Today, a new interview from Daniel Mac during the Autosport Business Exchange New York event has been published on his social channels, and it serves exactly that.
Following on from the famous exchange between the Mercedes chief and former Red Bull team principal on Netflix’s Drive to Survive, where the Briton barked at Wolff to “change the f****** car,” Mac asked him whether he’d been asked that since.
“Only one guy has ever asked me to,” Wolff answered. “You’re number two, but you know, only one guy so far and probably he was right,” he laughed, making light of the difficult few years the Silver Arrows have endured since the regulation changes in 2022.
There was a long-running pantomime between the two team principals that Drive to Survive supercharged. But while the two seemed to be at each other’s throats, when Red Bull Racing dropped Horner after a disappointing 2025 season, Wolff was complimentary about his paddock rival.
“First of all, I don’t think he’s gone forever,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1. “I think he’s gonna pop up in some kind of other faction. I need to be careful. He could be rocking up in the FIA and then I’m really in the s****, you never know!”
He continued: “You look at it from the main protagonist, he was somebody that was controversial, that was polarising and not, how do you say, soft-washed, and that was good from the entertainment factor, and from that perspective he’s clearly going to be missed. His track record speaks for himself.”
Another clip followed where the Austrian was asked who would win if the Formula 1 paddock’s team principals raced in equal cars. Wolff briefly toyed with modesty before throwing it away.
“So you know you have to be humble about your own capability,” he smiled. “But in that case, I won’t be because they all, they cannot drive cars properly.
“They do this kind of show outings, whatever… so I guess I’m going to win that one.”
Pressed on who he believes would complete the podium, he pointed to McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and his Mercedes protégé-turned-Williams chief James Vowles.
“I think Zak would probably make it number two. Christian would have… James Vowles is pretty good these days so probably he’s number three.”
If the FIA ever fancies itself a charity race in identical tin-tops, Wolff has the billing sorted, but Horner may have to stick with commentary.
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