Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has told talkSPORT he finds it incredibly easy to wind up his Mercedes rival Toto Wolff.
The pair of trophy-laden team managers have shared the last 13 Formula 1 world titles, and one in particular sparked a rivalry for the ages.
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The 2021 epic was won by Max Verstappen ahead of Lewis Hamilton, and since then everything has gone Red Bull’s way, with by far the fastest car of the new era of aerodynamic regulations.
Last season, with Mercedes struggling, Netflix’s cameras picked up a heated exchange between Wolff and Horner, and things have hardly calmed down this term with public disagreements over the 2026 regulations.
But when questioned about the rivalry with talkSPORT, Horner insisted that it’s one he enjoys.
“It's part of sport, it's part of competition and he's incredibly easy to pull his chain,” the Brit said. “So that's part of rivalry, that's part of sport isn't it?
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“There has to be a competitive rivalry. It's not a garden party. We're there to compete, we're there to win and every member of the team knows that and the team that want to beat us the most are the ones that are just up the road.”
Horner also candidly admitted that there’s no need for a friendship between the two, just for the sake of pleasing those outside.
He explained: “I've never been a believer in that because he's trying hard to beat us and we're trying to ensure that we stay ahead of him and so I don't see, whilst there has to be a respect, I don't see some form of false friendship. For me it's unrealistic.”
But would they ever meet up for a pint?
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“I'm not so sure Toto is the type of person that goes to the pub,” Horner added.
He did, however, have plenty of positive words for Wolff’s No.1 driver Hamilton, and not just for his on-track activities.
“Huge respect for Lewis. What he's achieved, he's the most successful driver of all time,” he said. “His records speak for themselves. They're huge.
“At the same point he's a rival but there can still be a respect for everything that he's achieved.
“And also outside of the cockpit as well, the way he's highlighted issues on equality and race and so on. I think he's done a tremendous job as an ambassador for Formula 1.”
