Christian Horner playfully reacts to Toto Wolff’s “little terrier” jibe, while downplaying any impact of the Russell-Verstappen feud.
Christian Horner humorously responded to Toto Wolff’s remark yesterday. The Mercedes F1 director had referred to the Red Bull boss as a “little terrier barking,” criticizing Horner for having made negative comments about his driver George Russell, calling him “hysterical” in the ongoing Russell-Verstappen controversy.
During the press conference in Abu Dhabi today, Horner replied and sought to downplay the situation.
“I love terriers, I think they’re great dogs. I had four, including two Airedales, which are the kings of terriers.”
“I had two West Highland terriers named Bernie and Flavio. And what’s great about a terrier is that they’re extremely loyal. Bernie was a little aggressive dog, he would snap at anyone. Flavio was calmer and probably ate a bit too much.”
“But is being called a terrier really that bad? They’re not afraid to take on bigger dogs. You know, it’s better to be a terrier than a wolf.”
More seriously, he added: “Toto is always dramatic, as we all know. I wasn’t talking about the psychology of his driver. And when I mentioned hysteria, I was referring more to how he criticized his team when they put hard tires on the car, despite him asking for medium tires, and expressing his dissatisfaction with the tire choice. I’d be fined if I repeated the language used in that press conference.”
“Obviously, a lot has been said. We know Toto loves to talk, but that’s how it is. For us, we just want to end the season on a high note, have a good race, see these guys fight. Hopefully, everyone can then take a well-deserved break and rest after this race.”
When asked if he was concerned the Verstappen-Russell feud could spill onto the track this weekend, Horner replied: “No, not at all.”
“Max is a straight shooter. He tells you exactly what he sees. He speaks the truth, exactly how he feels.”
“He was obviously very frustrated last weekend. The way things unfolded in a scenario we’d never seen before, and then the grid penalty that followed. That turned into motivation, and he had a lightning start, led the race into the first corner, and won the Grand Prix, which is the best response possible.”
“Obviously, there was a lot of talk yesterday. It’s panto season; we’re getting ready for Christmas. So maybe there’s a bit of end-of-season blues, but I don’t think it will have any effect.”
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Horner Defends Russell-Verstappen Row, Calls Himself “Terrier” Horner Defends Russell-Verstappen Row, Calls Himself “Terrier”
