What Toto Wolff told Laurent Mekies about Christian Horner in their first meeting after Red Bull change

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Toto Wolff and Christian Horner were two of the biggest sporting enemies in the F1 paddock. Across their 12 years together in the paddock, there were few rivalries out on track that reached the same level of tension.

The animosity peaked during the 2021 season when Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen contested an incident-laden title battle that was decided on the very last lap in Abu Dhabi. Wolff’s relationship with Horner never seemed to fully recover.

In fact, it perhaps suffered even more damage in the last 18 months or so of Horner’s tenure as Wolff quite openly pursued Verstappen even though he was under contract. Red Bull have now moved on by appointing Laurent Mekies, but their old team principal is likely to resurface elsewhere in the paddock.

In the meantime, Wolff says F1 will miss Horner from the ‘entertainment’ perspective. Mercedes have won 15 championship trophies during his tenure, one more than Red Bull managed under the Englishman.

Toto Wolff among F1 team bosses to seek fresh start with Laurent Mekies

A report from Autosport Web details how rival team bosses have reacted to the regime change at Red Bull. Aside from Racing Bulls, who lost Mekies, it has the biggest implications for the other members of the ‘big four’ – Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari.

Wolff was apparently the first to invite Mekies for a meeting, with the Frenchman visiting the Mercedes motorhome after qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. He also sat down with Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur at Spa.

Just like Vasseur, Wolff made clear that ‘there was no animosity’ coming from his team, and that the ‘tensions’ of the Horner years could now be put to bed. Mekies, in turn, had the chance to lay out his ‘approach and plans’ for Red Bull.

The top teams are seeking alignment on the biggest issues in the paddock, whether they relate to commercial or sporting matters. That’s why these talks are so important.

Speaking in Budapest, McLaren’s Zak Brown said relations with Red Bull would be ‘healthier’ and more trustworthy now that Mekies is in charge. They had a meeting of their own at the Hungaroring.

Laurent Mekies is facing the same Helmut Marko headache as Christian Horner

Mekies has been working 14-hour shifts at Red Bull during his early weeks in the Milton Keynes factory. Multiple insiders have explained that he’ll lead the team like an engineer.

Horner, by contrast, was an ex-racing driver who took responsibility for every department of the team. Mekies will have a narrower remit and, with that, a greater focus on car performance.

But he may not be able to avoid the politicking entirely. Helmut Marko may give Mekies headaches, an issue that Horner often experienced.

Marko is known for being extremely outspoken in the press, sometimes forcing his colleagues to put out fires. At the age of 82, the paddock veteran is unlikely to change, which will put Mekies’ diplomatic skills to the test.