Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff offers savage self-help advice to rival Christian Horner

F1 News & Gossip

Toto Wolff offers savage self-help advice to F1 rival Christian Horner

Wolff has continued to offer sly digs at Horner despite his F1 exit

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 20 October 2025 20:57

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Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has issued some savage self-help advice to Christian Horner following his departure from Red Bull.

The two team principals once shared a notorious rivalry, with their disagreements captivating audiences ever since they were introduced in more detail to the masses through Netflix's Drive to Survive.

But a spanner was thrown in the works of their love/hate relationship back in July when Horner was removed from the operational aspect of his job at Red Bull and immediately replaced by Laurent Mekies.

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Since his exit, Red Bull have gone from strength to strength, so much so that star driver Max Verstappen is now seriously in contention for this year's drivers' championship, leading to questions over Horner's leadership and the recent Red Bull slump.

Yet the Brit appears to be gearing up for a return to the paddock, with his eye-watering Red Bull payout rumoured to have included a shorter period of gardening leave, which could allow for a comeback in 2026.

Wolff's backhanded advice over Horner F1 return

As F1 enters the closing stages of the 2025 campaign, rumours have run wild over which team Horner could be set to make a comeback with, but so far, none of those rumours have materialised into a real deal.

But Wolff is certain the sport has not seen the last of the ex-Red Bull boss, telling Reuters: "It's clear that when someone like that is gone, you're thinking, he's got to be back.

"But this world moves so fast, the hamster wheel keeps turning. My feeling is probably he's gonna be back, but where and how and when? I don't know.

"Maybe the personality got too big up for his own good within his team," the Silver Arrows boss wondered. "I'm not saying that's him, but I think from a human standpoint, you've got to be able to look yourself in the mirror in the evening and say, 'Have I been a little bit of an idiot today?'

"And that self-reflection and introspection is super important to keep your feet on the ground at a time where you're winning F1 races and the cameras are pointing at you.

"I've seen many, many people fail in F1, and on the outside, because they felt they were the sun and not part of the solar system.

"We are an ecosystem here, all with our part in this ecosystem. And if you feel that you stand above your people and not with them, that is risky, long term."

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