Horner: Not sure how close Wolff is to his engine business

Horner recently raised concern that the F1 power units planned for 2026 might cause a problem with their power output split by a 50-50 ratio between the Internal Combustion and Hybrid components, which means drivers might need to shift down at the end of the straights to recharge the batteries, risking the creation of a Frankenstein, while also suggesting a rules' tweak.

Wolff scoffed at Horner's claims suggesting the Red Bull Powertrains project is in trouble insisting Mercedes would not agree any change in the regulations.

While Red Bull Powertrain are under Horner's direct supervision, Mercedes get their power units from Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains at Brixworth, not under Wolff's supervision, and the Red Bull boss suggested his Mercedes counterpart may no be up to date with what is happening with the development of the 2026 units as he is.

"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," he told Motorsport.com.

"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," Horner maintained.

"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," the Briton reckoned.

As for how he runs Red Bull Powertrains, Horner said: "You’ve got to have a good team of people around you, and it's how efficient you are with your team.

"So for me, I've always been a big believer in giving responsibility and accountability to the people that you empower, because there's no point me telling them how to design an engine, I can't do that.

"What I can do is set the direction, set the targets and make sure they got the right facilities, the right infrastructure, the right support.

"So it's about having the right team and network around you, and how you then apportion and apply your time," the Red Bull boss concluded.