Christian Horner has revealed a heartfelt exchange with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff during his dramatic departure from Red Bull.
The 52-year-old former team principal was removed from the team he had led for two decades and has remained silent since his dismissal just 48 hours after last July's British Grand Prix.
He has now broken his silence on the upcoming series of Netflix's Formula 1: Drive to Survive, set for release this Friday.
In his first media appearance since leaving the championship-winning outfit, Horner makes an unexpected revelation where he shares insight on the messages exchanged between the two rivals.
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Wolff's message struck a balance between candour and admiration.
He wrote: "I didn't know what to say, because on one side you've been a real a***hole.
"But on the other hand, the sport will miss one of its main protagonists."
"Who should I fight? And 'love to hate', as you always said? Wolff and Horner have a combined 14 of the last 15 world championships. Not a bad points statistic."
Christian Horner was removed from the team he had led for two decades
|GETTY
Horner responded: "I've loved locking horns with you all these years.
"So thank you for the rivalry, the competition and the needle.
"No one else even came close, as the statistics point out.
"I wish you all the best for the future. ps You need a haircut."
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Toto Wolff now holds the distinction of being Formula 1's longest-serving team principal
|GETTY
Under the 52-year-old's leadership, Red Bull secured six constructors' titles and eight drivers' championships, with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen delivering consecutive world titles across two separate eras.
Speaking on his exit, he added: "I feel a real sense of loss and hurt. It was all rather sudden. I didn't really get a chance to say a proper goodbye."
The relationship between Horner and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff became one of Formula 1's defining narratives, characterised by a decade of intense competition and public clashes.
Their verbal exchanges grew increasingly personal, with Wolff once labelling his counterpart a "yapping little terrier" whilst Horner accused the Austrian of "stirring s**t up."
Christian Horner left Red Bull after 20 years at the helm | GETTYThe 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix represented the apex of their animosity, with Wolff recently criticising Horner for refusing to acknowledge the controversial title decider was "unjust."
Despite years of bitter feuding, the pair have remained in contact since Horner's departure from the Milton Keynes outfit.
Wolff has confessed to feeling somewhat "lonely" on the grid without his longtime adversary.
He has described Horner as a "great enemy" and one of the sport's "old dinosaurs."
With the Britons' exit, Wolff now holds the distinction of being Formula 1's longest-serving team principal, leading Mercedes since 2013.
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