Wolff slams “yapping little terrier” Horner amid Russell/Verstappen F1 fallout
“At the end, why does he feel entitled to comment about my driver?”
Mercedes Formula 1 team boss Toto Wolff has slammed Red Bull’s Christian Horner as a “yapping little terrier” over comments he made about the George Russell/Max Verstappen fallout.
Four-time world champion Verstappen and Russell have been locked in a war of words since the former was handed a one-place grid penalty in Qatar for driving too slowly in qualifying ahead of the Mercedes driver.
Verstappen branded Russell as ‘two-faced’ amid the dispute, while Horner said the penalty was due to ‘hysterics’ from Russell - who is the director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association - in Qatar.
The fallout from this has spilled into Thursday at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Verstappen doubling down on his comments.
In Russell’s media debrief on Thursday - attended by Crash.net - Wolff also spoke, taking aim at Horner’s words 'hysterics' response.
“I think as a team principal, it’s important to be a sparring partner for your drivers,” he began.
“And that means explaining that things can be more nuanced. Statements that are absolutistic, taking everything is either right, 100% right or 100% wrong, is something I just think you need to explain, think of more nuance, depending from your perception and your perspective.
“You need to allow for something to be 51-49, you need to allow for it to be 70-30.
“There is always another side. Maybe when you look at it that way, and you explain it to the drivers and to your team, you come to the conclusion that there is truth on both sides.
“If you don’t do that, you’re falling short of your role. It’s just weak.
“At the end, why does he feel entitled to comment about my driver? How does that come?
“But thinking about it, I’ve spent 90 seconds to think about it… Yapping little terrier. Always something to say.”
Asked why he has felt the need to respond, Wolff added: “I tell you clearly. There is a thing between drivers, and this is George and Max, and I don’t want to get involved in that, but if the other team principal calls George hysteric, this is where he crosses a line for me.
“Now, his [Horner’s] forte for sure is not intellectual psychoanalysis, but that’s quite a word. How dare you comment on the state of mind of my driver.”
