Christian Horner takes pop at Toto Wolff with Sir Alex Ferguson comparison

F1 team bosses Christian Horner and Toto Wolff — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

Horner takes pop at Wolff with Sir Alex Ferguson comparison

Horner did not hold back when talking about whether he would miss races like his German rival had to in 2023

Stuart Hodge

Sunday 7 January 2024 20:56

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Christian Horner has suggested that the idea of him missing a Formula 1 race would be like football legend Sir Alex Ferguson missing a match.

The Red Bull team principal's pointed remarks come after Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff was forced to miss two races last season after undergoing knee surgery, with ex-F1 driver Jerome d’Ambrosio left in charge alongside the team’s head of communications, Bradley Lord.

Horner believes that always being present is vital for the leader of any championship-winning organisation and the Englishman revealed he has no plans to miss any races if he can avoid it, much like the legendary Scot.

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In 26 years at the helm of Manchester United, Ferguson managed an incredible 1,312 matches. He only missed three in that time, two because of major family occasions and one due to a personal scouting mission to watch a prospective signing.

Horner: I have to be accessible

Horner is a strong believer in ensuring he provides a visible present and a leadership focal point for the current F1 constructors' champions.

"You've got to be accessible," he said. "I see my role as team principal and CEO. For 52 weeks of the year, I am CEO of a high performing technology business with Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Power Trains and Red Bull Advanced Technology.

"If I am not at the racetrack, I am in the factory from Monday to Friday. As team principal, I attend every single race. I have attended every grand prix Red Bull have competed in since 2005.

"People need to see the boss. [Not attending a race] would be like Alex Ferguson not going to a football match."

Could Wolff miss more F1 races in future?

Toto Wolff was absent from the Japan and Qatar Grands Prix last season

Conversely, Wolff has said that it may well be that he chooses to take a step back more often in future to help safeguard Mercedes' future.

"The clear aim is to build a structure for the future and that is my sheer responsibility for the team," Wolff said in an interview with the Associated Press.

"A stone could fall on my head and how does it look afterwards? That is why I would like to see myself in a few years maybe not going to 24 races, and just to 15.

"But that is many years away. I see myself in this role for a long time. I cannot imagine doing something else."