Christian Horner fired back at Toto Wolff at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, stating that he would ‘rather be a terrier than a wolf’ after the Mercedes team principal called him out on Thursday.
Horner initially stoked the flames in Qatar, criticising George Russell’s “hysterical” approach to the race weekend. After an argument exploded between the Brit and Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi, the Mercedes boss also got involved.
“This is a thing between drivers, this is George and Max, and I don’t want to get involved in that,” Wolff said on Thursday. “But if the other team principal calls George hysteric, this is when he crosses a line for me. He is not into intellectual psychoanalysis, but that is quite a word. How dare you comment on the state of mind of my driver.”
Wolff’s rant continued: “As a team principal, it’s important to be a sparring partner for your drivers, and that means explaining that things can be more nuanced. Statements that are absolutistic, thinking that everything is either 100 per cent right or 100 per cent wrong, it’s something I think needs to be more nuanced, depending on your perception and your perspective.
“You need to allow for something to be 51/49, you need to allow it to be 70/30. So there’s always another side. And maybe when you look at it that way and you explain it to your drivers and to your team, you come to the conclusion that there is truth on both sides.
“If you don’t do that, you’re falling short of your role. It’s just weak. And, at the end [of the day], why does he feel entitled to comment about my driver? How does that come? Yapping little terrier. Always something to say.”
Horner responded to these comments in the team principals’ press conference after FP1. After explaining his own love for the terrier breed, he said: “To be called a terrier… is that such a bad thing? They’re not afraid of having a go at the bigger dogs. You know I’d rather be a terrier than a wolf, maybe.”
Horner also brushed off the Mercedes chief’s comments labelling him “weak” for not standing up to Verstappen. “I’m not going to raise to the bait of that,” he replied.
“Everybody manages themselves and their teams in different ways – we’ve won 122 races, we’ve won 14 World Championships. I think we’re doing alright.”
