‘No one interested in boxers hugging’

Since Christian Horner was replaced at Red Bull by Laurent Mekies, the current batch of Formula 1 team principals and leaders have generally been a mild-mannered sort. Indeed, in Zandvoort, Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff made the claim that Formula 1 is missing “an asshole” to play to the crowd.

While inflated by Netflix’s Drive to Survive, Wolff maintained a rivalry with Horner and would often resort to gamesmanship via the media to stir up trouble. While Mercedes took a step back in competitiveness, Horner also assumed that role with McLaren’s Zak Brown in more recent times.

Wolff stated that “[Horner] was outspoken, he was controversial, he was an ass and he loved to play that role also. You need an asshole. People need to hate someone. So who is that going to be now?”

As Red Bull became more competitive in F1, Horner seemed to relish the gamesmanship with his fellow team principals, and his former driver David Coulthard has backed Wolff’s suggestion that there is a need for a “baddie” among those leading teams.

Speaking to Motorsport.com at the More Than Equal event in Zandvoort, Coulthard explained that the element of “combat” between teams in F1 is less well-served when the current team principals all get along well.

“I’ve said exactly the same before: because Fred [Vasseur] and Toto are friends. Zak and those guys get along. They’ve now lost the baddie amongst the team principals in their eyes,” Coulthard explained.

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

“And part of the Netflix show is about creating these characters and personalities. No one is interested in two boxers going in the ring holding hands, kissing and hugging.

“That’s not what combat is about. We are where we are. Many people thought McLaren wouldn’t function without Ron Dennis. He was a big personality.

“They’re about to win both championships this year. So nothing is dependent on one person. But we are show business as well as sport.”

While many might roll their eyes at the suggestion of a sideshow between team principals, it should be noted that this was part of F1 long before documentarians were expected at every race.

Despite their deep-seated respect for each other, Frank Williams and Ron Dennis had an adversarial relationship at times in the 1990s – which made their alliance for the 1997 season finale (where Dennis’ McLaren squad agreed to help Williams’ Jacques Villeneuve beat Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher to the title, so long as it could help Mika Hakkinen break his victory duck) all the more incongruous.

Dennis also sustained a fractious relationship with then-FIA president Max Mosley; it was said that the late Mosley took pleasure in levying a $100m fine at McLaren’s door in the aftermath of the Spygate controversy.

Flavio Briatore, Renault F1 Team and Ron Dennis, Team principal McLaren

Photo by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images

Flavio Briatore also battled with Mosley, particularly in 1994 when the Italian’s Benetton squad was frequently found in hot water for a series of technical infringements, and with Dennis around the time of Spygate in 2007.

In more recent times, Horner enjoyed his war of wits with former Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul – one of the first team boss rivalries detailed in Drive to Survive.

Horner took umbrage with the Renault engines, which he felt were a millstone around Red Bull’s neck – but Abiteboul arguably got one over Horner by luring Daniel Ricciardo to the team for 2019.