P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Wolff slams ‘entitled’ Horner
Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff stated that Christian Horner’s sense of ‘entitlement’ ultimately led to his dismissal from Red Bull due to their intense rivalry that intensified during the 2021 championship battle.
After back-to-back constructors’ titles won by McLaren, both Red Bull and Mercedes experienced a decline in performance, prompting Red Bull to replace Horner with Laurent Mekies in July.
Wolff revealed that his frustrating experience with Horner stemmed from the latter’s unwillingness to admit mistakes, particularly regarding the controversial Abu Dhabi showdown in 2021 where Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the world championship under disputed circumstances.
The race saw Verstappen overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the last lap following a contentious decision by race director Michael Masi that allowed Verstappen to benefit from fresh tires after a late safety car situation.
Masi’s departure from his position post-Abu Dhabi added to the turmoil surrounding the controversial race, with Wolff recently criticizing Masi as a ‘lunatic’ for his decision.
