F1 News: Red Bull Chief Roasts Toto Wolff Amid Heated Team Rivalry
Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, recently took a light-hearted jab at his arch-Formula 1 rival, Toto Wolff, regarding their respective racing careers. Horner, who competed in International Formula 3000 with Arden International, transitioned from racing to team management at the end of 1998. Similarly, Wolff embarked on his own racing journey in Germany, participating in Austrian and German Formula Ford.
While their driving careers may not have yielded significant success, both Horner and Wolff have become renowned as two of the greatest team principals in Formula 1 history. Under Horner's leadership, Red Bull has secured six drivers' championships and five constructors' championships, while Wolff's tenure at Mercedes saw the team claim eight consecutive constructors' titles from 2014 to 2021.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Horner was asked whether his and Wolff's racing backgrounds provide an advantage in their roles as team principals. Horner acknowledged the insights gained from experiencing the emotions and challenges faced by drivers, emphasising the importance of instilling confidence in them.
Reflecting on his time as a driver, Horner shared:
"I raced, Toto took part, and of course it gives you an insight to the emotions that the driver goes through and some of the challenges.
“It’s quite a lonely place sitting in that cockpit and when you look out, you want to feel you have a team that believes in you, that they’ve got your back and that inspires confidence.
"I think for me that was the key thing that I took out of my driving time and having driven for good teams and not-so-good teams - it was all about the people in the end.
“I think like in any business it’s all about people and how they work together.”
Horner expressed his passion for collaborating with others, stating:
"Personally, I just enjoy working with people - trying to get the best out of them and working collectively as a team, setting clear goals and objectives. Just listening and trying to help them
“I am not a qualified engineer, I am an ex-driver. I have never been on a management training course in my life and for me it’s about how you empower people, how you give them that confidence, how you give them clear guidance of what’s needed to work collectively as a group.”
His people-oriented mindset and belief in empowering team members have been instrumental in his success as a team principal.