Toto Wolff Denies Idea That Christian Horner Sacking Was His Fault
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff denied playing a role in the firing of former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
Wolff is rumored to be in full pursuit of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, chasing after the reigning four-time champion over the past year and a half, despite him recently confirming his focus on his own drivers.
Some reports from the paddock suggest that Red Bull executives decided to remove Horner in an attempt to appease Verstappen's camp after growing weary of the team boss's leadership.
The Dutch driver has clauses in his contract that could trigger a move away from the team.
Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner talks with Mercedes GP Executive Director Toto Wolff in the Paddock prior to Sprint Qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring...
Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner talks with Mercedes GP Executive Director Toto Wolff in the Paddock prior to Sprint Qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 28, 2024 in Spielberg, Austria. More
Photo bySeeing an opportunity to poach Verstappen, Wolff has been working on the move for a month, exploring the possibility of making the driver transfer happen.
While Mercedes' interest in Verstappen potentially put pressure on Red Bull, Wolff doesn't believe it factored into the decision.
"There is much more in the background that we probably don't know with Red Bull," he told Sky Sports at the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.
"Looking after drivers, in my position as team principal of Mercedes, I need to explore what Max is going to do in the next few years, not only next year."
Now that Horner is out of the picture, Verstappen's future is more unclear than ever before, but the Mercedes boss figures it will come down to who the driver feels has the better car in the future.
"I think drivers will always seek the quickest car, much more than any monetary incentives," Wolff added.
"It's about the quickest car and analyzing that. That's what Max and all the others will do."
More news: Max Verstappen Backed Christian Horner Days Before Red Bull Sacking
Mercedes is balancing their driver issues as star driver George Russell remains without a contract for the upcoming season and Kimi Antonelli is still developing.
Both drivers are in limbo until Verstappen makes a firm decision one way or another, though Wolff believes both are likely to remain at the team next season.
"This is all a long-shot, far-fetched. I want to stay with Kimi and George as it stands," he said.
"Everything else is not realistic. If you have a Russell-Verstappen line-up, that's Prost-Senna."
"There is the largest of probabilities, [though] nothing is 100 per cent, that this will be the line-up next year [Russell and Antonelli]."
Verstappen is lined up as the key domino to fall in the drivers market, keeping everything locked in place until he makes his decision.
More news: Sebastian Vettel Provides Update On F1 Future Amid Red Bull Rumors
For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
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