26 November 2023, on the sidelines of the last race in Abu Dhabi, Toto Wolff and Christian Horner they surprise everyone and take a photo hugging and smiling. Many think of a sort of peace between the two great rivals, the only team principals to triumph from 2010 onwards. And instead it was the last smiling image of the two before winter storms, which involved first the Austrian and then the British. Frowning them quite a bit and jeopardizing their future in F1.
In the beginning it was Wolff
At the beginning of December, Mercedes' number one Toto Wolff he ended up in the eye of the storm for a alleged conflict of interest with his wife Susie, head of the F1 Academy. The manager of the Silver Arrows was accused of knowing confidential information from the magazine Business F1who said he had collected secrets from rival teams.
The matter was handled very badly by the FIA, which first exposed itself by announcing the evaluation of an ad hoc investigation, only to then make a disastrous about-face after the outcry of the other 9 teams and Liberty Media.
Wolff came out clean a week later, then threatening to take action in court to defend his and his wife's image. At the same time, conspiracy theories about a Wolff in the balance after years without victories flourished, promptly denied a few days later by the renewal until 2026.
And then the Horner case
Then in February the alleged Christian Horner inappropriate behavior scandal, team principal of Red Bull since 2005, against a team employee. The press went wild, reporting prurient details on the affair – which soon turned into a sexgate – and simultaneously outlining an internal war within the world champion team. An unimaginable scenario of opposing factions, on one side the Thai ownership with Horner and Newey and on the other the Austrian counterpart with Marko and the Verstappen family.
Much has been said and written, but after the independent investigation Horner was acquitted from the accusations made just on the eve of the Bahrain GP and from tomorrow he will position himself on the Red Bull wall.
It thundered so much that it didn't rain
In short, the media blows to Toto Wolff and Christian Horner didn't knock them down. The two pillars of Mercedes and Red Bull will lead their respective teams also in 2024. They professed themselves innocent, they held firm and remained in the saddle. And the photo from the end of November can have a new title: “Yep, we're still here.”
#winter #controversy #Wolff #Horner
