Mercedes boss Toto Wolff didn’t hold back on his stance on former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner last year following an investigation into his wife Susie
Toto Wolff struggled to bite his tongue(Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Toto Wolff refused to bite his tongue with regards to Christian Horner after an infamous rift. While the two men have steered their respective teams to an impressive combined haul of 14 Constructors’ Championships over the years, Mercedes’ Wolff had sharp words for Horner after the FIA investigated his wife, Susie, in December 2023.
Red Bull on Wednesday confirmed that Horner has left his role as team principal, with Laurent Mekies taking over the helm as Red Bull Racing CEO. Previously, Wolff had been vocal about Horner’s perceived lack of support when both he and his spouse Susie, who runs the women-only racing series F1 Academy, faced conflict of interest allegations.
After accusations surfaced that the pair exchanged sensitive data, an FIA enquiry followed; however, she vehemently rejected such claims, and the investigation ended swiftly with Susie initiating legal proceedings against the FIA. Nonetheless, Wolff shared that Horner seemed to distance himself while other teams showed solidarity with them at the time.
Speaking to the Guardian in November 2024, Wolff said: “I can take lots of s***. I’m used to it. But if your wife is being dragged into a conflict she has nothing to do with, and her reputation is immaculate, that’s where the fun stops. But the response was great. I didn’t make a single phone call to any team.
“Fred [Vasseur, head of Ferrari] took it into his hands and said, ‘This is just so unfair.’ From [former Haas team principal] Guenther Steiner to [head of Williams] James Vowles, everybody jumped on to this. They were all ready, but for Christian, to sign a document in our support.
“As far as I understand it, he (Horner) said, ‘I’m having my own Sky interview and I’m going to say I’m not part of it. I’m not signing the document.’ The other nine teams said, ‘Fine.’ But obviously he was advised that wouldn’t look great and he should be part of the statement.
“In the second iteration, he tried to get the word ‘official’ in the statement. He wanted a note to say that no one [among the team principals] officially complained to the FIA. The other teams said, ‘Fine. We do our declaration and you do your own.’ At the end, he signed it.”
Horner disputed Wolff’s version of events(Image: Getty)
Despite Horner eventually putting his name to the statement, the event clearly irked Wolff. Questioned if he’d consider speaking with the then-Red Bull head, he replied: “No. I don’t think you can rely on what he says. I think [Susie] was collateral damage and lots of it was out of disrespect for her achievements as a female racing driver and as a contributor to change.
“It was also trying to cause s*** to me by disrespecting my wife, diminishing the painful journey she went through to achieve what she did in and outside the car.”
However, Horner disputed Wolff’s version of events, explaining that he had received a message of thanks from the Mercedes chief for his support to the couple, and that he was baffled by his comments, reports the Express. The 51-year-old told the Daily Mail: “Toto sent me a text message at the end of last year to say thank you for standing up for Susie today and showing them that there is a red line and the teams are together. And I said, ‘No problem, I said what I believe.’
Toto and Susie Wolff have been married since 2011(Image: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
“So why he needs to go and say all that s*** this week, I have no idea. I was a little surprised to see his comments because he thanked me for his support. I have not said one word. I have not risen to Zak’s [Brown, McLaren boss] bait.
“I have not risen to Toto’s bait. I’ve had him chasing our drivers. I have had them chasing our sponsors. I have just thought, ‘Let them get on with it.'”
After concluding their investigation into Toto and Susie Wolff, the FIA wrote: “Following a review of Formula One Management’s code of conduct and conflict of interest policy, and confirmation that appropriate protective measures are in place to mitigate any potential conflicts, the FIA is satisfied that FOM’s compliance management system is robust enough to prevent any unauthorised disclosure of confidential information. The FIA can confirm that there is no ongoing investigation in terms of ethical or disciplinary inquiries involving any individual.”
