Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has threatened Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner not to “make comments” about the 2021 season finale, ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Despite Red Bull having easily sealed both titles ages ago, Horner was busy getting under the skin of the Silver Arrows ahead of the 2023 finale.
Not only did Horner tell the Daily Mail that he was approached by a representative of Lewis Hamilton earlier this season but he also criticised Mercedes for not pitting the seven-time World Champion in the closing laps of the controversial 2021 finale.
His comments about 2021 came during a recent appearance on Sky TV show ‘A league of their own’, where he insisted that Mercedes should’ve pitted Hamilton when the late Safety Car to recover Nicholas Latifi’s crashed Williams was summoned.
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After a frustrating year for the Silver Arrows, Horner’s comments appear to have rattled Wolff, who questioned what “drives” the Red Bull boss.
Regarding Horner’s comments about Hamilton approaching Red Bull, Wolff revealed that it was actually the other way around and that it was Horner who asked for the Mercedes driver’s contact details.
Hamilton did speak to Horner, something he told Wolff about; however, it had nothing to do about a possible switch to Red Bull.
As for Horner’s comments about 2021, Wolff has stressed that what he said was “completely off the mark”, making him question what goes on in the Red Bull team principal’s head.
With Red Bull having won so easily this season, Horner’s comments are clearly viewed by Wolff as being unnecessary.
“I just don’t know what drives the guy,” he said of his Red Bull counterpart.
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“We don’t understand his thinking to come up with these things. What happened is that Christian, through an agency that we work with, wanted to have his contact details to speak about the seat.
“That’s how the whole thing went, [it] was Christian inquiring into his availability. Lewis had an exchange with Christian – which he immediately told me about, which was not about a seat, but it was just… blah. I’ve seen it.
“So I don’t know what drives him to come out with this. You’ve won the season. Be happy about it, [be] humble. Enjoy it.
“Don’t make comments about Abu Dhabi 2021, which are completely off the mark… I just wonder what’s going on up there.”