Christian Horner labels himself and Mercedes rival boss Toto Wolff as last “dinosaur” team principals in F1

Red Bull Racing's team principal Christian Horner recently called himself and his counterpart at Mercedes, Toto Wolff, the last "dinosaur" team principals in the sport.

Horner, who took over at Red Bull in 2005, became F1's youngest team principal at the time, and alongside AlphaTauri's Franz Tost, he stands as the longest-serving F1 boss currently on the grid.

Speaking on the Unlapped podcast, Christian Horner reflected on the changing landscape of personalities and characters within the F1 paddock since he first entered the sport. In the earlier days of his tenure, Horner found himself surrounded by prominent and colorful figures like Ron Dennis and Bernie Ecclestone, who added flair and distinctiveness to the sport.

"When I first came into the sport, there was Ron Dennis, there was Flavio Briatore, there was Eddie Jordan, there was Jean Todt. There was Bernie Ecclestone running it, there was Max Mosley there, Frank Williams – some really big characters and personalities," said the Brit.

However, coming to the present, Christian Horner and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff represent a somewhat "dinosaur" type of character compared to the current breed of team principals. Despite being relatively younger than some counterparts, Horner feels the definition of a team principal has evolved since his early days in the position. He continued:

"So I suppose Toto [Wolff] and myself are perhaps two of the more ‘dinosaur’ type of characters compared to some. Even though I’m still on the younger side of the team principles."

F1 has gotten much more "technical" than "entrepreneurial" according to Christian Horner

In the same podcast, the Red Bull boss acknowledged that the dynamics have shifted significantly over the years, with a noticeable increase in managers and a greater emphasis on technical aspects rather than entrepreneurial flair. He stated:

"Now you look around the room – maybe it’s just me getting older – but there’s more managers there and it’s gotten much more technical than the entrepreneurial side."

Horner continued:

"The dynamic and the definition of what a team principal is these days is very different to when I first came into this post."

While Christian Horner and Toto Wolff may represent the last of the "dinosaur" era team principals in F1, their rivalry and contrasting leadership styles continue to contribute to the drama and excitement that define the pinnacle of motorsport.