RED BULL team principal Christian Horner insists he and Mercedes rival Toto Wolff are “very different”.
The two teams were embroiled in a heated rivalry last season, which saw Red Bull’s Max Verstappen beating Lewis Hamilton in a controversial title-deciding race in Abu Dhabi.
Wolff, Hamilton and the rest of the British star’s team were furious and the Mercedes team principal is still livid at the outcome, which led to the dismissal of race director Michael Masi.
Horner, who insists 2021 is “done and dusted” as far as he’s concerned, admitted that he likes to wind up Wolff, whom he likened to a “tax exile in Monaco” running his team remotely.
The Red Bull chief told the Daily Mail: “We are very different. If I’m not at the racetrack, I’m in the factory.
“I’m not living as a tax exile in Monaco, running a team remotely. I am hands-on.
“My diary is full from the moment I arrive to the moment I leave, dealing with issues within the team. I have very much an open-door policy.
“I grew up in the sport. I was a race driver that turned my hand to running a team. I’m a racer at heart.
“Toto has come from a very different background. He has a financial background and is very driven by what the balance sheet says.
“Results dictate that performance. Does he share the same passion as a racer? I have no idea. Will he be here in 10 years’ time or will he have cashed in and be on his super yacht? I have no idea.
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“My relationship with Toto is… you know, it’s professional. He’s not the kind of guy I’m going to go and have dinner with or spend private time with, but I have a respect for what he’s done and what he’s achieved.
“Of course, as far as I’m concerned, 2021 is done and dusted. It’s now all about 2022. Will he be the main opponent this year? I have no idea.
“Do I like him? I have no personal issue with Toto. He’s the kind of guy that bites quite easy, so it’s always fun to wind him up a bit. But he’s not a bad guy, that’s for sure.”
