Red Bull is chasing its first Formula 1 title since 2013, and the drivers’ standings are currently led by Max Verstappen, who is 12 points ahead of Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton in the lead.
In the constructors’ race, Mercedes has a 23-point lead over Red Bull, but had to shrink its lead at the last race in the USA.
During the break before Mexico, Mercedes F1 boss Wolff conducted an interview with the Daily Mail in which he described Horner as “one of the protagonists of a pantomime” when he spoke about the portrayal of his counterpart in the Netflix series Drive to Survive.
Horner and Wolff exchanged a number of off-track comments during their teams’ fight this year, adding to the drama of the on-track fight.
Wolff called Horner “a little windsock” back in June, while Red Bull voiced criticism of Hamilton after his fall with Verstappen at the British Grand Prix a month later.
When asked about his reaction to Wolff’s recent comments, Horner said, “We all know that Toto has a lot to say.
“Actually, I was pretty flattered. To be called a protagonist, if you look up what the definition of it means, I think you also need an antagonist to have a protagonist.
“You could say that Toto might fill this role pretty well, or if it was a mime, the mime lady role might suit him.
“But you see, it’s all about what’s happening on the track and I think it’s great competition between the teams. It’s limitless, pit wall versus pit wall, driver versus driver, engine supplier versus engine supplier, chassis versus chassis, and it’s fantastic.
“We love it, and occasionally you get thrown at you in one fell swoop. But I take it with caution and sometimes even as a compliment. “
Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes AMG
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
This year is the biggest challenge for Mercedes since the start of its streak of championship victories in 2014 and is Red Bull’s first participation in a title fight since 2013, when it won the double in the drivers and constructors’ championship for the fourth time in a row.
Horner said the needle between him and Wolff was “all noise” compared to the battle between their teams on the track, but admitted that this title would be the cutest yet for Red Bull.
“I have no problem with Toto, I think he did a great job there, on a team that he inherited,” said Horner. “Of course there is respect. Mercedes is a phenomenal team. They did great things and of course there is respect between the two teams.
“But it’s a competition. You can’t just accept, if we turn around and accept that Mercedes wins every race, it’s pretty boring and why do we show up? We’re here to race, we want to take on the challenge, we’ve been fighting for this position for seven long seasons to lead the fight to Mercedes.
“We have put ourselves in a competitive position. We want to make sure we’re doing our best to make this happen by the end of the year.
“It will be by far our greatest success in Formula 1 if we succeed in one of the championships.”
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