Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner and Mercedes GP principal Toto Wolff have never been shy about their feelings for each other. The latest skirmish in the war of words between the two frenemies finds both declaring the other a “pantomime villain” in the drama-filled Formula 1 season.
Biggest Formula 1 title fight in years raises team tensions and brings out the drama
Red Bull Racing and Mercedes GP are currently engrossed in one of Formula 1’s greatest title battles. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have dominated the last few seasons, and a new challenge from the resurgent Red Bull, and Max Verstappen, have raised team and driver tensions. This has also increased the drama between the two teams’ principals.
Wolff and Horner rarely see eye-to-eye on anything, with their differing views on the future of Formula 1, current on-track battles, and how each runs their respective team getting most of the media’s attention.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Wolff fired the first shot at Horner, declaring him a protagonist in a pantomime and a Hollywood actor in the cast of Formula 1.
Never one to go silent when poked fun of in the media, Horner responded by calling Wolff the antagonist and a “pantomime dame” in the story of Formula 1, per ESPN.
Dueling interviews from Wolff and Horner tell the tale of how they feel about each other
Speaking first, Wolf had this to say about Horner: “I feel he is one of the protagonists in a pantomime, part of the Formula One cast, and for me as a stakeholder, as a team owner, it’s great that he creates these kinds of stories. But it’s irrelevant. People have a microphone in front of them or a camera on them and they start to behave like little actors, like Hollywood.”
Responding to Wolff’s comments, Horner, who has admitted to enjoying winding up Wolff, said: “I was quite flattered actually, being called the protagonist, if you look at what the definition of that means. I think you also need an antagonist to have a protagonist and one could say perhaps Toto fills that role pretty well. If it were a pantomime, perhaps the pantomime dame role might suit him.”
Horner went on to add: “As far as we’re concerned, it’s all noise. It all depends on what you do on the track, and if you can do your talking on the track, then that has way more weight and value.”
Taking jabs at rivals in the media is all part of the game in Formula 1
The 2021 Formula 1 season has seen the sports’ two top teams locked in a tight battle for the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. With only a few points separating Mercedes GP and Red Bull Racing, the two have everything to play for, and taking jabs at each other in the media is part of the game.
From the outside, the drama between the two bosses may seem ridiculous, but there may be a bigger strategic play happening here. Poking fun of your rival in the media could distract them come race day. That would open the door for mistakes allowing the other to take advantage, and with the championship fight between Mercedes and Red Bull so close, any small advantage could mean the difference between winning and losing.
There’s no expectation that either Toto Wolff or Christian Horner will back down from their current feud, and with only four races left in the season, there’s every chance they will keep upping the tension. That will only benefit fans of Formula 1 drama and keep the off-track events as interesting as the action on the track.
Related: Continuing To Attack Lewis Hamilton Only Embarrasses Red Bull Racing
The post War of Words Heats up Between Formula 1 Team Bosses Toto Wolff and Christian Horner, With Each Seeing the Other as the Villain of the Season appeared first on Sportscasting | Pure Sports.
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By: Shields Bergstrom
Title: War of Words Heats up Between Formula 1 Team Bosses Toto Wolff and Christian Horner, With Each Seeing the Other as the Villain of the Season
Sourced From: www.sportscasting.com/war-of-words-between-formula-1-team-bosses-toto-wolff-christian-horner/
Published Date: Mon, 08 Nov 2021 17:44:08 +0000
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