Christian Horner rivalry prompts X-rated jibe from Toto Wolff

Axed F1 boss Christian Horner has been labelled a d**k by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff following the former Red Bull man's exit last month.

The 51-year-old was sacked with immediate effect at the start of July having been at the helm of the Red Bull F1 team for over two decades.

During that time, Horner developed a fierce rivalry with Mercedes principal Wolff, with the pair sharing some iconic heated interactions, many of which gained notoriety through Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive.

But despite Horner's departure from the paddock, Wolff has kept the rivalry alive and well in a recent interview with Channel 4's Steve Jones.

Speaking after the Red Bull principals dismissal, the Silver Arrows boss was asked if he misses Horner, with Wolff replying: "Yeah, in a way I do because him and I, we've been fighting for 12 years.

"He's been a d**k very often and I told him," Wolff continued, prompting laughter from Jones who interrupted with a promise to censor the X-rated admission, adding: "We'll beep that!"

Wolff misses Horner after Red Bull sacking

Whilst Horner was the one and only team principal for the energy drink giants prior to his sacking, Wolff didn't join the Mercedes F1 mission until 2013, with the duo's rivalry beginning shortly after.

Wolff arrived just in time for the change in regulations in 2014 which saw the Silver Arrows take over as the dominant force on the grid off the back of four consecutive championship victories for Red Bull's star driver Sebastian Vettel.

As Horner's team declined in performance, Wolff and Hamilton took Mercedes to new heights, with the German manufacturer's F1 team going on to claim the record for the most back-to-back constructors' wins.

Between 2014 and 2021, Mercedes claimed seven drivers' titles and eight victories in the team standings, but their role as the one's to watch came crashing down infamously in 2021 after Hamilton narrowly lost out on an eighth title to Red Bull star Max Verstappen.

The moment has gone down as one of the sport's most controversial and marked a low point for a devastated Wolff and Hamilton, but it also sparked the start of Red Bull's comeback thanks to the Dutchman.

As McLaren have now taken over as the team to beat and Verstappen continues to grapple with his Red Bull machinery in the absence of Horner, Wolff admitted that he missed having such a strong rival in the paddock. "Him not being here it's almost you know, one of the old dinosaurs gone. There's not many of us left from us team principals so it feels a bit lonelier," the Austrian admitted.

F1 HEADLINES: Lewis Hamilton facing impossible decision as team hit with driver sacking ultimatum

READ MORE: Red Bull driver issue hands Sergio Perez F1 return boost

READ MORE: 'I was a poor driving instructor living on a farm and now I’m an F1 billionaire

READ MORE: Horner’s F1 return hits ANOTHER stumbling block

Related

Latest F1 News

Toto Wolff pinpoints issue on alarming Kimi Antonelli Mercedes F1 slump

• Today 12:57

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton facing impossible Mercedes-Ferrari decision

• Yesterday 17:57