Wolff disappointed by Red Bull F1 title response: 'There was not one sentence'

Toto Wolff has branded Christian Horner and Red Bull's handling of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix aftermath as "entitlement", claiming neither Lewis Hamilton nor Mercedes were adequately acknowledged.

The team principal of the Brackley-based team feels the situation in the wake of the contentious season finale was managed poorly from Red Bull's perspective.

Arguing had the shoe been on the other foot, Mercedes would have addressed how events unfolded at the Yas Marina Circuit, the 52-year-old was outwardly critical of the Milton Keynes squad's public relations strategy.

What transpired in the closing laps of the now-infamous race is well-trodden ground, with Red Bull successfully lobbying Michael Masi to interpret F1's sporting regulations in a manner that allowed Max Verstappen to claim his maiden F1 drivers' championship, at the expense of Hamilton.

That final controversy was the last act of what had become a cantankerous campaign between the two teams and its leading drivers.

Nonetheless, Wolff expected more from Mercedes' then-bitter rivals in victory, outlining the conciliatory tone he expected Red Bull to adopt.

"I felt that the other side [Red Bull], and that's not Max [Verstappen], but there was not a one sentence saying: 'that was a difficult day for Mercedes'," the Austrian said on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast.

"'They are both deserving champions, today it went against Mercedes. It went against us before'," Wolff continued.

"There was not one word from Christian Horner or the other team [Red Bull] in acknowledging that, it was like entitlement."

When it was put to him that given the disputable nature of what had happened, Red Bull may have felt it could not risk tipping the scales of a result which, at that point, might still have been contested, Wolff bluntly replied: "We would have said it."

Ultimately, Wolff maintains that both Verstappen and Hamilton were "deserving champions" of a season that will long be remembered for its bad temper and its ill nature.

"Both drivers were deserving champions, because of the ups and downs during the season," he said. "And probably both of them should have been world champions.

When it was suggested in response that Mercedes enjoyed a better car than Red Bull in 2021, Wolff promptly disagreed, providing a balanced perspective of the season.

"At the end, not the first half of the year," he replied. "I think Lewis was the stronger driver in the second half, Max was in the first half - and the same with the cars.

"They [Hamilton and Verstappen] should have both had the trophy, but on that day, in that race, the race was decided, and it fell the other way."