Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff is facing a “different type of pressure” compared to previous years with Red Bull taking the fight to them this season, says Christian Horner.
Having won seven championship doubles on the bounce since the dawn of the V6 hybrid era in 2014, Mercedes’ is under threat of losing its crown as it enters the final six races amid a tense title fight with rivals Red Bull.
A tweak to the regulations at the start of the year saw Mercedes’ previous performance advantage wiped out, paving way for Red Bull to make a serious bid for its first title in eight years.
Ahead of this weekend’s US Grand Prix, Mercedes holds a 36-point cushion over Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, but Max Verstappen has the upper hand over Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ title race – leading by six points.
The title battle has proved just as fierce off the track as on it, with debates over flexi-wings, pitstops and engine performance, as well as the two major collisions between Verstappen and Hamilton at Silverstone and Monza.
Speaking to the Guardian, Red Bull chief Horner said he has “a lot of respect” for Wolff, but believes he is now facing more pressure than he has ever experienced during his stint as Mercedes team principal.
“I have no issue with Toto but we are very different people,” said Horner.
“I tend to be quite straight and quite direct, that’s the way I’ve always operated. He operates in a different way but I have a lot of respect for what he’s done.”
He added: “He [Wolff] came into the sport with Mercedes in 2013 and the structure was already in place. Ross Brawn had built that team. Lewis had already been signed.
“Toto’s done a tremendous job operating the team and maintaining their performance. But of course, he’s never experienced anything other than winning. So it’s a different type of pressure now. It’s tough.”
Wolff arrived at Mercedes in 2013 following a period at Williams, playing a key role in helping the German manufacturer maintain its level of dominance and creating a culture of never being complacent with its achievements.
Horner, too, oversaw Red Bull’s rise from its debut season in 2005 – winning four successive championships at the start of the 2010s – but believes the ongoing politicking behind the scenes this year is the biggest difference when comparing the two periods.
“Compared to the championship years when we were competing with Ferrari and McLaren from 2010 to 2013 this has been very different,” Horner said. “There is an awful lot more going on behind the scenes, constant campaigning of the FIA with all aspects of our car.
“You have to defend yourself if you come under attack as we have from the very beginning of the year – whether it was the concept of the aerodynamics with the FIA to pit stops to other aspects of the chassis, you name it.”
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