Wolff: “I live inside Horner’s head, without paying rent”
As the team principal, Toto Wolff, just celebrated his ten-year anniversary at the Mercedes team, he opens up about his relationship with his counterpart at Red Bull Racing in the Times magazine.
These are the two strong men of Formula 1 for over 10 years, and they have allowed their two teams to win the last thirteen drivers’ and constructors’ championships. In an interview with The Times, on the occasion of his ten years at the helm of the Mercedes team, Toto Wolff was asked about the tense relationship between him and his counterpart.
« I’m constantly in his head, it’s like I live there rent-free! This guy is obsessed. Honestly, every second I spend talking about Horner is a waste of time in my life. »
He also addressed the end of the 2021 season, with the battle for the title in Abu Dhabi, followed by the controversy between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. He declares that he still hasn’t accepted the outcome of this season.
At the end of the race, an individual (Michael Masi, editor’s note) made decisions that were not justifiable anywhere in the regulations and were so drastic that they made the result unbelievable. It is a moment where you are disgusted with the sport… the principle of fairness was violated.
The FIA deprived a guy (Hamilton, note) of the fruits of his labor because it was a human error. But it’s done and the dust has settled now. I still think about it a lot, but not with anger. What happened in Abu Dhabi is simply incomprehensible.
He takes the opportunity to address the relationship he has with Lewis Hamilton and how the latter managed to overcome the loss of the title that year.
With Lewis, we have been together for many years and speak as often as possible. This period has been incredibly difficult, as he had given everything and was on the verge of achieving a huge feat: winning an eighth world title. One of the hardest things in sports is managing disappointment. It is at this moment that the team truly comes together.
