Horner rises above Wolff’s “rent free” jibe: “I sleep well at night…”

The team principals from Red Bull and Mercedes have had an explosive relationship in the past two years, since Max Verstappen usurped Lewis Hamilton as the F1 champion.

Their bust-ups have been documented by Netflix’s ‘Drive To Survive’ but, ahead of the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix to begin the 2023 season, Horner has dismissed a jibe from Wolff.

• Hamilton insists “no hold up” over new Mercedes F1 contract despite rumours

“I am living in his head rent-free,” Wolff said to The Times in January. “The guy is obsessed. Every second that I spend on talking about Horner is a waste of time in my life.”

When asked to reply by the Daily Mail this week, Horner said: “I don’t take any interest in that.

“It’s a new season. I’m concentrating on what I’m doing. Competition is part of sport. I sleep well at night.”

Red Bull were in ominous form at preseason testing in Bahrain, a week before the season begins, and Verstappen is eyeing a third straight title.

• Russell relishing battle with Hamilton: “He’s going to come back fighting"

Horner said about his star driver: “If you look at his first out lap of the test, Max comes in two-and-a-half seconds quicker than any other driver.

“His ability to get in and get on with it, I’ve never seen anything like it. There is no build-up or easing your way in.”

Verstappen had joked about losing his weight after indulging over the winter, but Horner explained: “He lives for a bit of freedom in the winter because he knows he has to give 11 months of chicken and lettuce.

“He’s a young guy and you need to give him that space. He’s in great shape. He’s on his weight, and he knocked out 160 laps on day one of testing and he looked fresh afterwards. 

“He’s quite straightforward in many ways. He just drives the wheels off it, and is pretty mellow out of the car.”