Toto Wolff says he is in two minds about Christian Horner returning to Formula 1

Horner was fired midseason in 2024, following the British Grand Prix, due to Red Bull's struggles early on in the season and was replaced by Laurent Mekies.

The Briton's final couple of years at the helm of the Milton Keynes squad have been turbulent, starting with his sexting scandal early in 2024, followed by civil war with the Verstappen camp, Max and Jos, as well as Red Bull's former motorsport consultant Dr. Helmut Marko.

Despite Horner being cleared from the scandal, something was broken within Red Bull Racing, and the team never recovered, especially as the man who was holding everything together, founder Dietrich Mateschitz, passed away back in 2022. He was also Horner's biggest supporter.

Horner has been hugely successful over the course of his tenure as Red Bull boss, a job he started when Mateschitz bought the struggling Jaguar outfit back in 2005. The team has since won six F1 Constructors' Titles and eight Drivers' Crowns with Sebastian Vettel (2010-2013) and Verstappen (2021-2024).

During his time in F1, Horner and Wolff developed a relationship based on extreme rivalry, always the stars of F1 politicking.

Asked about the prospect of Horner making a return to F1, Wolff said: "He has broken quite a lot of glass, and these things have repercussions in our microcosm.

"I am in two minds about it [Horner returning to F1]. The sport is missing personalities. And his personality was clearly very controversial, and that is good for the sport."

Wolff, a known friend of Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur, added: "I said to Fred Vasseur that it needs the good, the bad, and the ugly.

"And it is now only the good [Wolff] and the ugly [Vasseur] left. The bad is gone," the Austrian joked.

Horner, who claims he had unfinished business in F1, was linked with several teams in the sport after his dismissal from Red Bull Racing. There was speculation that he may join Ferrari, then Aston Martin, but he has been recently tipped to buy into Renault-owned Alpine, something Executive Advisor and de facto team boss Flavio Briatore confirmed.

But recent reports have claimed that Mercedes are talking with Alpine shareholder Otro to buy them out, which Briatore also confirmed.

However, Wolff distanced Mercedes and himself from Horner with regards to the Alpine connection.

He said: "Would I consider that he could ever be an ally or someone that shares objectives? I don't think so.

"But even when I had the biggest frustration and anger with him, you need to remind yourself that even your worst enemy has a best friend, so there must be some goodness.

"If there wasn't that competitive rivalry over so many years, and if there was more water down the river, I am sure I could have hung with him over dinner and had a laugh," Wolff admitted.

He also admitted that things might have spiraled out of control between him and Horner at some instances.

He said: "Over those years it was just too intense, too fierce, and things happened which even today I cannot comprehend why he has done them.

"I don't know if he is finding his way back, and in which function. I certainly don't wish him bad. And we need to give each other credit.

"There are not many team principals who have done what he has done," Wolff concluded. (Source: Press Association)