Mercedes boss 'smashing up headphones' and 'ranting at cameras' proves he got tightened up by Red Bull last season, says Christian Horner

Christian Horner believes Red Bull put Mercedes and Toto Wolff under pressure after an epic battle both on and off the track. According to him, Wolff's gestures throughout the year demonstrated that the team had been tightened up by them.

The 2021 season saw a fierce battle between both Red Bull and Mercedes. The two drivers, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, fought hard, colliding multiple times and even taking each other out at Monza. As brutal as the battle was on the field, there was no difference between the teams behind the scenes. Throughout, both Horner and Wolff played blame games, attempting to have their driver take the lead.

It was hard to figure out which team was performing better. But according to Horner, Red Bull had caught Mercedes "under pressure." He believes that the way Toto Wolff smashed up his headphones and ranted out on camera showed how much the team was pressuring him. Horner, in a Diary of a CEO podcast, said:

“I think you see people’s true personalities and what they have really got when they are under pressure."

He added:

“So of course, when you see your counterpart smashing up headphones and pointing and ranting at cameras, you know you’ve got to them."

During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Vertsappen & Hamilton collided which gave significant damage to the Mercedes front wing. Toto Wolff was seen smashing his headphones while reacting to that. The entire scene became a sensation amongst fans.

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Christian Horner runs Red Bull 'differently' than Toto Wolff runs Mercedes

Being a Formula One team principal is a difficult job, especially when you are in charge of a large team like Red Bull or Mercedes. Horner believes that it takes a lot of patience. He stated that Wolff's outburst of rage and frustration in front of the entire team was not ideal, and it made things more difficult for the entire team and crew. He stated in an interview with the Diary of a CEO podcast:

“Because you know if they are venting in such a way and they are feeling that pressure, the people beneath them will be offloaded onto as well, that they will be on the receiving end of that And that, in my opinion, or my experience, causes people to tighten up.”

After such a dramatic battle, Red Bull was able to make the most of it with Max Verstappen, who won his first World Championship at the season's final race.

Max battled Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari this season and won his 2nd consecutive World Championship after the Japanese Grand Prix, with 4 races still left in the season.