Christian Horner has raised doubts regarding Toto Wolff’s familiarity with his team’s 2026 engine advancements, given that Wolff’s team operates as a customer rather than an engine developer themselves.
These two individuals have engaged in a series of exchanges regarding the upcoming regulations in Formula 1, with Horner expressing concerns about their potential negative impact on the sport. Red Bull’s simulations indicate that they might encounter difficulties in maintaining competitive speed.
Wolff, on the other hand, has suggested that Horner’s primary focus lies in his own team’s performance rather than the overall welfare of the sport.
However, Horner suggests Toto Wolff Mercedes are also falling behind in terms of their 2026 plans leading to their inability to share the same sentiments with him.
“I’m not sure how close Toto is to his engine business, because he’s a customer, he’s not involved in HPP’s business formally,” Horner said.
“The feedback that I’m getting from the business, and as you start to see the programme really coming to life and as the simulations firm up are some of the limitations. Which are inevitable.
“So I would say it’s perhaps as a result of us maybe being well advanced that we’re actually seeing some of the limitations.
“And I think that not for self-gain here as an engine manufacturer, just looking holistically at the whole lot, looking at the compromises that we’re going to have to make on the chassis regs with fully active aero to compensate for the recovery on the engine, it still doesn’t feel too late to tune that ratio.
“And it wouldn’t take much. It’s not like we’re saying we have to rip everything up and start again. It’s whether you do it on a fuel flow or the cell mass, you just need to change that ratio slightly to ensure that we get great racing.”
