The Formula One rivalry between Red Bull and Mercedes is age-old. Thus, it is not a surprise that both the team leaders, Christian Horner and Toto Wolff, threw heated comments toward each other for the majority of the 2021 season. However, their word blows got particularly heated up after their drivers collided at the British GP in 2021. And recently, the Red Bull boss discussed the whole situation in a podcast. Keep reading to find what more Horner has said.
Christian Horner Heated Argument With Toto Wolff At British GP!
Horner has explained a contentious encounter he had with Toto Wolff during the 2021 British Grand Prix. Red Bull\’s Max Verstappen started on the front row in the Silverstone race last year, followed by Lewis Hamilton.
The director admitted that during the British GP, the first collision between the two drivers was when the tensions peaked. When Hamilton approached Copse on the opening lap, he dipped to the inside of the fast-right hander. But he and Verstappen collided, throwing the Red Bull driver into the barrier with a 50G impact. As a result, a time penalty was assessed to Hamilton. Verstappen was then brought to the hospital for precautionary tests, but he still prevailed.
Meanwhile, Christian Horner recalled the heated interaction between him and Toto Wolff at Silverstone on a podcast titled F1: Beyond the Grid podcast. He stated, \”It really permeated at Silverstone where suddenly there was an awful lot of dialogue from Toto to Michael Masi\”. Chris Horner said that he thought it was terribly unfair that a team principal couldn\’t campaign and sway the race director. In retrospect, he and Toto had a tense conversation in Race Control.
In addition, Horner also talked about he realized Oscar Piastri\’s potential three years ago. However, he could not sign him for the junior team, a decision he regrets now. But the Red Bull director wants to see Oscar driving for Red Bull in the future.
Horner Talked To Michael Mass After Abu Dhabi Incident!
Christian Horner further revealed that he spoke with Michael Masi after the drama of the season finale in Abu Dhabi. After the race resumed for the final lap under Safety Car conditions, the former race director faced harsh criticism. In the final lap, Max Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton to win his first championship title. However, the Red Bull manager admitted that Masi made a mistake by not allowing every lapped vehicle to pass the Safety Car. But believed that it was the proper decision to take the season end on schedule.
The rules of lapped vehicles were explained in the written regulations as a consequence of the Abu Dhabi Incident. Masi was also relieved of his duties as race director before recently departing the organization.
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