Toto Wolff has taken a swipe at Christian Horner for his part in the bitter feud between George Russell and Max Verstappen, labelling the Red Bull Team Prinicipal “a yappy little terrier”.
The two drivers have resumed their war of words following the Qatar Grand Prix and the controversial dispute during qualifying.
Verstappen was demoted from pole position for blocking Russell, though the four-time world champion would eventually win the race.
Horner accused Russell of being “hysterical” in his bid to land Verstappen with a penalty, and now Wolff has hit back against his old rival.
”As a team principal, it’s important to be a sparring partner for your drivers and that means explaining that things can be more nuanced,” Wolff said in Abu Dhabi. “Thinking that something is either 100 per cent right or wrong, is just something you need to explain from your perception and perspective.
“You need to allow some things to be 51-49 and 70-30. There’s always another side and maybe you look at it that way, you explain it to the drivers and team.
“There’s truth on both sides. If you don’t do that, you’re falling short of your role. It’s just weak.
“Just weak. How can he feel entitled to comment about my driver? Having spent 90 seconds to think about it, yapping little terrier. Always something to say.”
The dispute has reignited the Mercedes vs Red Bull rivalry since the dramatic end to the 2021 season, as Russell slammed Verstappen’s behaviour and said former F1 race director Michael Masi would be “fearing for his life” if the Red Bull driver had lost the title in the manner Lewis Hamilton did.
Asked whether Verstappen’s behaviour has been enabled by the leniency of stewards in the past, Russell said: “He’s been enabled because nobody has stood up to him.
“Lewis did in 2021 and Lewis lost that championship unfairly. Could you imagine if the roles had been reversed and Max losing that championship in the manner Lewis lost that championship?
“[Michael] Masi would be fearing for his life.”
