Toto Wolff's brutal three-word putdown about Christian Horner has re-emerged after the Red Bull boss was sacked by his team after the British Grand Prix. The Mercedes chief once described his rival team boss as "entitled" and a "yapping little terrier" in a major slight.
Red Bull confirmed Christian Horner would leave the team on Wednesday morning after 20 years at the helm amid rumours Max Verstappen could quit the team. Red Bull has lacked competitiveness in 2025 with Verstappen all but out of the title race despite winning four back-to-back crowns between 2021 and 2024. Rumours around Verstappen's potential exit have intensified in recent weeks with Mercedes making no secret of its attempts to win the star's signature.
Horner and Wolff's feud began back in 2021 when Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton fought for the 2021 championship.
Last year, Wolff said: "Why does he feel entitled to comment about my driver? How does that come? That even thinking about it.
"I just had 90 seconds to think about it... Yapping little terrier. Always something to say."
The Mercedes team principal made the comment after last year's Qatar Grand Prix after a feud between Geoge Russell and Max Verstappen.
The Dutch World Champion was infuriated after he suggested Russell had actively attempted to get him a penalty after impeding a lap during qualifying.
Earlier in the season, Wolff had also accused Horner of "always trying to stir the s*** up" after the Red Bull chief made remarks about Russell's F1 future.
The war of words hasn't died down in 2025 with Wolff pointing fingers at Red Bull bosses for launching a protest after the Canadian Grand Prix.
Red Bull looked into whether George Russell had been driving erratically under the safety car in Montreal, which prompted a reaction from the Mercedes boss.
Speaking at the premiere of the F1 movie in New York, Wolff said: "You know, honestly, it's so petty and so small."
According to reports, Verstappen's management team had reached out to Mercedes to "chat about the future".
Verstappen has an exit clause in his contract which stipulates his 2028 deal with Red Bull can be terminated dif he does not sit at least this in the Drivers' Standings by the summer break.
Although Verstappen is sitting safely in P3, Mercedes could still pay Red Bull to leave the contract early if a deal with the Dutchman is struck.
Wolff has not shied away from the fact that the Silver Arrows would be keen to secure his services.
He said: "As a team principal responsible for the best car brand in the world, it is clear you're exploring what a four-time world champion is going to do in the future, and that could be a long time in the future."