Red Bull boss Christian Horner and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff came close to coming to blows in 2021 at a time when the intensity and tension of the Formula 1 title battle is almost pushing the limits. towards the end of the season.
The confrontation came to a head after the last race of the year, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix , when Mercedes protested the way in which the FIA’s application of the safety car rules led to a wheel confrontation. wheel on the last lap, from which Max Verstappen emerged victorious.
Horner and Wolff have appeared together in public for the first time today during pre-season testing since that race and have been more conciliatory as both feel they must put an end to past disagreements.
“You had to think about it. At times, it became fierce and brutal. But the stakes are high,” Wolff reflected on the intensity of his relationship with Horner .
“It’s an F1 world championship, there’s the fight on the track and there’s the fight off the track. So it’s fine.”
“But we need to put it behind us. There has been a lot of talk about Abu Dhabi, to the point where it is being detrimental to F1, so we have closed the chapter and turned the page. Now it is 2022, everything has been reset, the point boxes are at zero and there are new opportunities and new risks”.
Horner, for his part, said that while the two will continue to view the events in Abu Dhabi from two very different points of view, he thinks they can reestablish their mutual respect.
“Maybe we share different opinions about Abu Dhabi, but that is in the past, and now everything is focused on 2022,” said the Red Bull boss .
“I think what we did see last year was a fantastic season from the first race to the last. I think it has been key in the growth of the popularity of Formula 1, so clearly we expect this year to be just as good. exciting. Well, maybe a little less exciting at some points.”
“In my opinion, there could be other competitors joining this battle. So, particularly with this opportunity to start from scratch, with these new cars, it’s a complete reset.
“It is arguably the biggest change in the regulations in the last 40 years, but I am sure that the rivalry between the teams and drivers will be the same as always,” he concluded.
