Christian Horner text message to Toto Wolff revealed as Brit turned down by F1 team

Toto Wolff has revealed that Christian Horner sent him a light-hearted text ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, making fun of their long-standing rivalry. The former Red Bull boss's chances of returning to the grid with Cadillac were shut down earlier this week, while his hopes of joining Alpine have also been dashed.

Horner was sacked by Red Bull in July with his team's results spiralling and doubts hanging over the future of star driver Max Verstappen. The 51-year-old spent 20 years in charge in Milton Keynes and delivered a combined 14 World Championship titles. This tenure made Horner, by a considerable margin, the longest-serving team principal at the time of his departure. Furthermore, his exit from the paddock spelt the end, at least for now, of one of the sport's most iconic rivalries, shared with Mercedes chief Wolff.

Ahead of the Dutch GP, Wolff revealed a text conversation he had with his former adversary during the summer break. "He said to me: 'What are you doing now, because you love to hate me and I'm gone!'" the Mercedes boss explained.

"It's a bit ambivalent because, A, his track record is very good - one of the most successful in Formula One. So, clearly, there are things he's done well. Within the team, I think he was, to a certain degree, respected in Milton Keynes.

"But then we didn't often have the same opinion or perspective. So, he's been a wonderful, great enemy over the years. Am I missing him? It's quite strange to come here, and Christian's not going to be around. I mean, what are you doing with him not around? That's a bit weird."

"And then you have the pragmatism of Laurent Mekies. Suddenly, you can have a conversation about the long term. We're just totally different people, but even your biggest enemy is your best friend."

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Horner's chances of returning to the grid in the near future are slim, with team principal opportunities now at a premium. Two of his most likely avenues, Cadillac and Alpine, have been shut down for 2026.

"I would like to officially shut down that rumour," declared TWG Motorsports chief Dan Towriss, who runs the new Cadillac team. "Our support, belief and backing is 100 per cent in Graeme Lowdon."

Alpine boss Flavio Briatore also dismissed a move to his team, at least in the short term. "I'm not considering in this moment anything," he said. "Christian is not in Formula One in this moment anymore. I hope he comes back soon but, for the moment, he's not in the picture of Alpine."