“Most Intense Political Title Fight”: Toto Wolff and Christian Horner Clashed Weeks Before Controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Rivalries are inevitable in a sport as competitive as Formula 1. As Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen took center stage to knock out the other one, their Team Principals had their own battle going on. The battle of the masterminds, if you say so. While many may consider the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP as the tipping point between Horner and Wolff, it all started weeks ago. Let’s look back at the time when Toto Wolff and Christian Horner clashed before the full-blown war started at the Abu Dhabi GP. 

Remember how Lewis Hamilton had to start from the back at the Brazilian GP sprint because of the controversial rear wing? Red Bull decided to target Mercedes’ Achilles heel once again at the Qatar GP, where Lewis Hamilton slam-dunked Max Verstappen by winning the main race despite starting from dead last during the sprint race. As Red Bull further protested, tension grew between the Brackley and the Milton Keynes stable. 

Despite FIA introducing new load tests to check the wings, Red Bull continued with the protests. In a championship as tight as 2021, every bit of advantage could mean the difference between winning or losing the championship. Christian Horner never misses a chance to attack Mercedes, and that’s what he did back in 2021 during the Friday Press conference at the Qatar GP.

As the tensions grew between the teams, Christian Horner came out and clashed with Toto Wolff publically. As per Motorsports.com, Horner said, “It’s interesting to see how people react under pressure, how they react when they’re challenged. It’s by far the most intense political title fight we’ve been involved in in our time in this sport.”

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The controversial season would end with Max Verstappen taking the title home under controversial circumstances. Nonetheless, ever since, the Tom and Jerry scenario between Horner and Wolff has continued.

Toto Wolff and Christian Horner: An eternal rivalry 

While Mercedes and Red Bull are no longer direct competitors, neither of the Team Boss ever leaves a chance to take a jab at the other one. Toto Wolff recently accused Red Bull of making the other teams look like Formula 2 cars as he pointed at Max Verstappen and Co’s dominance. Christian Horner, on the other hand, made sarcastic comments advising how he wonders where his competitors have gone in the last couple of years. 

The most recent one would be when Toto Wolff advised how Max Verstappen’s consecutive win record is just for Wikipedia as all the Red Bull members slammed the Mercedes CEO for his comments. The Helmut Marko-Sergio Perez fiasco also attracted comments from the house of Mercedes, including Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

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How long do you think the Toto Wolff-Christian Horner rivalry will continue?