“He's a toxic man” - Red Bull F1 boss under scrutiny from fans for his 'dishonest' Toto Wolff relationship comments

Christian Horner and Toto Wolff have been arch-nemeses for the longest time. Glimpses of their rivalry were seen more than once on Netflix's Drive to Survive. Their relationship was also featured in Sky Sports' documentary, Secret to Success.

Red Bull's Christian Horner, Mercedes' Toto Wolff, and 10 other sports leaders were interviewed by Sky Sports' Nasser Hussain to examine and reveal the secrets of their success. As the Red Bull team principal discussed his 'friendship' with his Mercedes counterpart, he said it would be "dishonest" to be "best mates" with Toto Wolff.

"I've never been a believer that you can be the best mate with your competitor," he said. "I think it's dishonest."

This particular comment has caught the attention of fans on social media, who have taken to commenting on the supposed toxicity of their relationship.

Here are a few reactions from fans:

"He's a toxic man. We know it already"

"Yet Wolff lives in Horner's head rent-free. And he won't get any taller, no matter what"

"In another timeline, Christian Horner and Toto Wolff are happily married with three kids and a countryside home"

"Wolff publicly called out his drivers Nico/Lewis. Wolff was the boss, not the driver. Max is the boss of Red Bull not Horner. He tells Horner what to do. Also Wolff is the only team principal to have won 8 WCC in a row"

Red Bull boss reveals why he would never smash his headphones, unlike Toto Wolff

Toto Wolff smashing his headphones

One of the most iconic images of the 2021 Championship title fight was Toto Wolff smashing his headphones. This was after Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen made contact during the penultimate race of the season in Saudi Arabia.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Horner said:

"Any sport is a mind game but when you see a camp part losing it and smashing a set of headphones up you think, 'OK, you're feeling the pressure'. And if he is feeling the pressure, then everybody else around him is feeling the pressure, because pressure permeates from the top. I would never smash a set of headphones up."

Horner added, however, that he might have smashed it mentally.

"Internally I would have smashed mentally those headphones just as hard as him but I just wouldn't have done it physically. I just think everybody is different," he said.

As Hussain asked the duo about their relationship, Horner said he has a huge amount of respect for everything Wolff has done and achieved so far. When the same question was asked to Wolff, he said Horner was a good team manager.