Horner hits out at ‘typical’ Wolff: ‘Focused on self-gain rather than the sport’
F1 is set to embark on a new set of technical regulations in 2026 with the introduction of a new power unit.
In short, the engines for 2026 will be more powerful than their predecessor but also more sustainable as F1 aims to run races on 30kg less fuel than currently.
The new rules have attracted new manufacturers such as Audi - as a works outfit - and Ford, who have partnered up with Red Bull.
During the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, there were contrasting views about the 2026 rules, with Horner and Max Verstappen expressing their concerns about the impact they’ll have on the racing.
In response, Wolff suggested that Red Bull’s worries are linked to how their own engine project is progressing.
In their latest war of words, Horner has hit back at the Mercedes team boss, claiming that the German is “focused on self-performance”.
“Unfortunately that's typically Toto where he's just focused on self-performance," Horner said. "My interest is actually about the sport rather than self-gain.
“It's still way too early to say who's going to have a competitive or uncompetitive engine in 2026… for me the most important thing is from a sports point of view, that we all have a collective responsibility to work with the FIA and the commercial rights holder to ensure that the product is as good as it can be, otherwise we've all failed.”
Horner’s response came after Wolff’s comments.
Wolff said: “I think what frightens him more maybe is that his engine programme is not coming along and that maybe he wants to kill it that way.
“So you always have to question what's the real motivation to say something like that.”
Wolff has been quoted as saying there’s “zero chance” of the rules being adjusted ahead of 2026: “That's not going to happen, zero chance, capital letters.”
With a sharp eye for F1’s controversies and storylines, Connor is the heartbeat of our unbiased reporting.
