'Rather be a terrier than a wolf': Red Bull boss Christian Horner hits back at Mercedes chief Toto Wolff

Row escalates after Max Verstappen and George Russell spark war of words in Abu Dhabi

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner at the Yas Marina Circuit. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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Red Bull team boss Christian Horner continued the verbal battle with Mercedes chief Toto Wolff on Friday, further escalating tensions between the two teams in what is turning into an explosive end to the season.

Red Bull's quadruple champion Max Verstappen and Mercedes driver George Russell have been locked in a war of words since the Qatar Grand Prix, with accusations of bullying and lying. Russell even said Verstappen had threatened to deliberately crash into him during the ill-tempered Qatar race.

While Verstappen has already clinched the drivers' championship, the constructors' race is still on. Another fight raged on off the track, with Wolff calling Horner a "yapping little terrier".

On Friday, it was the turn of the Red Bull chief to hit back at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Horner, who remained sanguine and good-humoured during the presser, said: “I love terriers, I think they are great dogs.

“I had four of them and a couple of Airedales, which is the king of the terriers.”

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc during the second practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit. All images Chris Whiteoak / The National

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez at the Yas Marina Circuit on Friday, December 6, 2024

Charles Leclerc had a day to forget at the Yas Marina Circuit

Red Bull world champion Max Verstappen during the second practice session

Fans at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton during the first practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was hit with a 10-place grid penalty after the first practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Mercedes driver George Russell with a fan at the Yas Marina Circuit

Alpine driver Jack Doohan in Abu Dhabi

A DJ plays a set at the Yas Marina Circuit

Arabic coffee is handed out at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

He then added: To be called a terrier, is that such a bad thing? They are not afraid of having a go at the bigger dogs. I'd rather be a terrier than a wolf maybe.”

The row started after Verstappen castigated Russell for what the Dutch driver felt was the Mercedes man’s involvement in aggravating an incident that occurred in Qatar.

The Red Bull driver, who secured his ultimate victory in this year’s championship following the race in Las Vegas, repeated his criticisms in Abu Dhabi, provoking his British rival into claiming Verstappen was making unwarranted personal attacks and threats.

Wolff initially said he wasn’t going to get involved in any row between drivers, but after the Red Bull head said he thought Russell acted in “hysterics” over the penalty, the Mercedes team principal did just that, with gusto, comparing Horner to a terrier.

There had been some conjecture among the F1 commentators at Yas this weekend about the likelihood of the driver spat spilling onto the track.

When asked about this, Horner said: “No, not at all.

The National takes a hot lap in the McLaren 750S at F1 Abu Dhabi

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“Max, he’s a very straight shooter, he just tells you exactly how he sees it. He tells the truth exactly, what he feels.”

Horner admitted Verstappen obviously felt frustrated by what had happened but considered to have had a positive effect.

“The way things played out in a scenario that we haven’t seen before and subsequent grid penalty, he [Verstappen] turned it into motivation and made a lightning start, led the race into the first corner, and won the Grand Prix, which is the best possible response.

“Now, obviously, a lot’s been made of it yesterday. It is pantomime season, we’re getting ready for Christmas.

“So there’s maybe an element of end-of-term blues there, but I don’t think it’ll have any effect.”

Horner referred to Wolff as being “quite dramatic”, misconstruing the Red Bull head’s remarks about Russell’s so-called hysterics.

“We know Toto likes to talk a lot, but that’s the way it is,” he said.

“I think, for us, we just want to finish the season on a high, have a great race, see these guys battle it out, and hopefully everybody can have a well-earned rest after this race.”