Toto Wolff believes he lives "rent free" in Christian Horner's head and that his rival Formula 1 team boss is "obsessed" with him. Over the course of the white-hot title fight in 2021 between Wolff's Lewis Hamilton and Horner's Max Verstappen, relations between the teams and their bosses fell to new lows. It was initially triggered by the high-speed first lap collision between the Mercedes and Red Bull drivers at Silverstone, with Verstappen pitched into the Copse barrier and recording an impact of 55g. Red Bull took umbrage to the way Hamilton later celebrated his win on home soil, with further flashpoints in Italy, Brazil and Saudi Arabia doing nothing to smooth relations. After a controversial safety car ending in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen pipped Hamilton to the title on the last lap, mugging Hamilton on much fresher tyres. And although 2022 did not live up to Wolff or Mercedes high expectations as they struggled and Verstappen crushed the field, his feelings towards Horner have not changed. "I am living in his head rent free," Wolff explained to The Times. "The guy is obsessed [with me]. "Every second that I spend on talking about Horner is a waste of time in my life."
Wolff explains Horner relationship
In the aftermath of Abu Dhabi, Mercedes initially lodged protests against the result, but later withdrew them, although Hamilton did boycott the official FIA prize giving ceremony. And Wolff, who celebrates 10 years in charge of Mercedes on January 21st, believes that the team 'came into their own' during this period. "We have been together now for many years, and talk as often as possible," he explained of the relationship with Hamilton. "That period was incredibly difficult, because he had given it everything and was on the verge of a huge achievement [winning a record-breaking eighth world title]. "One of the most difficult things in sport is processing disappointment. That is when the team comes into its own."
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