Following last Friday’s release of the fifth season of hit-Netflix docuseries ‘Drive to Survive’, Toto Wolff’s and Christian Horner’s fiery exchange was finally revealed to the world, with it having been reported last season.
It had been revealed at the Canadian Grand Prix that Wolff and Horner were involved in an aggressive altercation, to the point where the Netflix cameras were almost forced out of the room.
The incident took place during a team principals meeting led by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, where Wolff threatened all the teams regarding the porpoising phenomena.
The Canadian GP took place following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Mercedes suffered from their most severe level of porpoising, to the extent where Lewis Hamilton’s participation in Canada was questioned following spinal pain.
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Only Mercedes, though, suffered from porpoising to that extent, with the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari having gotten control of their minimal bouncing.
Mercedes simply couldn’t get to grips with how to solve the bouncing, something Wolff sarcastically congratulated all the team principals for having done.
The Austrian accused his fellow team principals for playing a “dangerous game”, whilst Horner told Wolff to simply “change your f***ing car”.
“I can tell you that all of you are playing a dangerous game,” Wolff said
“If a car ends in the wall because it’s too stiff or it’s bottoming out, you are in the **** and I’m going to come after you.”
Horner then suggested that his rival was “playing to the cameras”, to which he then questioned whether Netflix should leave the room.
“I don’t care. If you think this is a little game and performance, I tell you, you are very, very wrong,” Wolff fiercely responded.
“No, Toto. Safety is a matter of team responsibility, braking system, suspension,” former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto then said.
Wolff didn’t take Binotto’s comment particularly well and responded by saying: “Each of you has found something to limit the problem, congratulations!”
Horner fired back by saying: “Well change your car. You’ve got a problem. Change your ****ing car.”
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Domenicali then interrupted the duo to ensure things didn’t get further out of hand, with the Italian having added that the FIA “will discuss that in the proper way”.
The FIA have taken action to eliminate porpoising ahead of the forthcoming season, with the governing body having added a new regulation.
For 2023, all the cars floor edges have to be raised by 15mm, something which has actually eliminated porpoising for Mercedes.