Christian Horner calls Toto Wolff a 'dinosaur' while comparing F1 team principals

Christian Horner

Horner calls Wolff a 'dinosaur' while comparing F1 team principals

The Red Bull couldn't resist pulling Toto Wolff's leg a bit when comparing F1 bosses

Jay Winter

Saturday 5 August 2023 19:42

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Red Bull chief Christian Horner has humorously described himself and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff as "dinosaur-type characters" among the current Formula 1 team principals.

Speaking to ESPN on the Unlapped podcast, the Brit opened up on how the definition of a team principal has changed from when he first joined the grid in 2005.

“You look around the room [at a team principal meeting] now and maybe it's me just getting older, but there are more managers there and it's gotten more technical than the entrepreneurial side," said Horner.

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"So I suppose Toto and myself are perhaps two of the more of the dinosaur-type of characters compared to some of the others. even though I'm still on the younger side of the team principles.

"But the dynamic and the definition of what a team principal is these days is very different to when I first came into the sport."

The Ecclestone Era

The 49-year-old went on to explain that the team principal meetings aren't always as fiery as the ones shown on Netlfix, with Horner admitting he doesn't always tell Wolff to "fix his f****** car".

However, this wasn't always the case. Horner opened up what the prestigious meetings were like back in the Bernie Ecclestone era of F1.

"The thing is when I look around the room now, there are very different personalities," said the Red Bull Racing CEO.

"When I first came into the sport, there was Ron Dennis, he was passionate about what he would argue for. Flavio Briatore was a huge character. If Ron Dennis said it was black, he said it was white."

"Jean Todt would just be ruthless in his protection of a Ferrari and all things Ferrari, totally uncompromising. Bernie Ecclestone running it, Bernie would carve up the room and he'd have everything nailed up with Max Mosley before the meeting had even started.

"Frank Williams... some really big characters and personalities."