Ex-F1 boss Christian Horner reveals ‘a******’ Toto Wolff message after Red Bull sacking

Christian Horner

Christian Horner reveals ‘a******’ Toto Wolff message after Red Bull firing

Christian Horner and Toto Wolff were arch rivals in the sport

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 1 March 2026 13:56 Updated: 15:44

Former Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner has revealed a text message from Toto Wolff in which he called the Brit an 'a******' after his firing from the team.

Horner was given the boot last July following a period of poor performance for the Red Bull team, bringing his 20-year spell at the helm of the team to an end.

During his time as team principal, Horner had a fiery relationship with Mercedes rival Toto Wolff, with some unsavoury comments exchanged between the pair over the years.

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Now, Netflix's Drive to Survive season eight has detailed some text messages that Wolff sent to Horner in the aftermath of his sacking as Red Bull boss.

Speaking in an interview for the hit docuseries, Horner said: "There's been a rivalry, there's been a competitiveness, I've loved every minute of that."

Horner was then asked if he had heard from Wolff, to which he revealed: "He said 'I didn’t know what to say, because on one side you’ve been a real a******, but on the other hand, the sport will miss one of its main protagonists. Who should I fight? And love to hate, as you always said? Wolff and Horner have a combined 14 of the last 15 world championships, not a bad points statistic.'"

"I responded to him, 'I’ve loved locking horns with you all these years. So thank you for the rivalry, the competition and the needle. No one else even came close, as the statistics point out. I wish you the very best for the future. PS: You need a haircut.'"

What will Horner do next?

The cleverly titled 'A Bull with no Horns' episode of Drive to Survive detailed Horner's sacking, but did not give any clues about where his journey in the sport might take him next.

Alpine emerged as an early contender for Horner's signature almost immediately after he was axed from Red Bull, with the Enstone-based outfit currently lacking a team principal.

Executive advisor Flavio Briatore fulfilled the functions of team boss after Oliver Oakes’ departure back in May, and in July, Steve Nielsen signed as their managing director.

Nielsen now oversees the day-to-day running of the team, but he has not officially taken up the role of team principal, meaning the spot is still technically up for grabs at Alpine.

Horner has been linked with a move to the Enstone team, with an ownership aspect to the move also being mooted, after the Brit reportedly got together a team of investors.

While that move has not yet materialised, it was revealed late last year that Horner had been calling various other F1 teams to discuss a potential return to the sport, with Haas reportedly another option for the Brit in terms of his team ownership ambitions.

Current team principal Ayao Komatsu revealed that an initial conversation with Horner had taken place, but that discussions had not gone any further.

F1 Red Bull Mercedes Christian Horner Toto Wolff Drive to Survive