Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has described his Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner as a "yapping little terrier" but refused to criticise Max Verstappen amid the world champion's ongoing row with George Russell.
The disagreement escalated remarkably on Thursday as Red Bull's Verstappen doubled down on his post-Qatar Grand Prix criticism of Russell, before the Mercedes driver accused the Dutchman of making a violent threat towards him before last weekend's race.
During Russell's session with the written media in the paddock ahead of this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Wolff took the unusual step of joining his driver in a packed Mercedes hospitality unit to weigh in on the situation.
Wolff has been open this season about his desire to sign Verstappen from Red Bull and has refused to rule out another move for the recently crowned four-time world champion for the 2026 season, when Mercedes are hoping to return to the summit of the sport as new technical regulations are introduced.
Asked whether Verstappen has been "enabled" by those around him, Wolff suggested that the 27-year-old has been let down by a lack of guidance from Horner in contentious scenarios.
"I think as a team principal, it's important to be a sparring partner for your drivers, and that means explaining that things can be more nuanced," Wolff said.
"Statements that are absolutistic, thinking that everything is 100 per cent right or 100 per cent wrong, is just something you need to explain. Things are more nuanced depending on your perception and your perspective.
"You need to allow for something to be 51-49, you need to allow it to be 70-30 - so there is always another side. And maybe when you look at it that way and you explain it to your drivers and your team, you come to the conclusion that there is truth on both sides. If you don't do that, you're falling short of your role."
The spat began in Qatar Grand Prix Qualifying as Verstappen was demoted from pole - with Russell inheriting the position - following a stewards' hearing attended by both drivers in which the Dutchman was found to have impeded the Mercedes by going too slowly on his warm-up lap.
Verstappen was aggrieved as he felt that Russell had actively attempted to get him penalised, and Horner backed up that suggestion in Qatar by describing Russell's actions as "hysterical".
Wolff said of Horner: "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.
"There is a thing between drivers, and this is George and Max, and I don't want to get involved in that. But if the other team principal calls George 'hysterical', this is where he crosses a line for me.
"His forte, for sure, is not intellectual psychoanalysis, but that's quite a word. How dare you comment on the state of mind of my driver?"
Could Russell and Verstappen still be team-mates in future?
During a remarkable series of interviews on Thursday, Russell accused Verstappen of saying to him that he would "put you on your f****** head in the wall" ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, and declared that "someone needs to stand up to a bully like this".
Red Bull declined to comment on Russell's allegations about Verstappen when approached by Sky Sports News. Verstappen has denied the "put your head in the wall" remarks to the Dutch media.
Following confirmation in February that Lewis Hamilton would leave Mercedes to join Ferrari in 2025, Wolff initially made attempts to recruit Verstappen as Russell's new team-mate.
Having accepted that wouldn't happen, Mercedes have installed Italian teenage Andrea 'Kimi' Antonelli as Russell's team-mate, but both drivers' contracts expire at the end of 2025, leaving Wolff flexibility over his driver line-up for the future.
Despite the stunning nature of his remarks, Russell suggested on Thursday that he ultimately wouldn't have an issue with driving alongside Verstappen in the future.
"Things happen and people move on. We're adults and we're mature. Right now, it's not even something I'm thinking about," Russell said.
"I never had the intention of throwing Max under the bus like this, until he comes out and slams me so personally. This is not like I'm angry with Max, this is me just setting the record straight, because I'm not going to stand here watching some guy slam me personally, as he has done."
Asked whether their relationship was broken, Russell added: "I know what Max is like. This is not the first time I've seen him like this.
"I've seen him like this as a 14-year-old in the go-kart paddock, so this is just me sharing what happened on Saturday night."
Sky Sports F1's live Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Thursday December 5
11am: Drivers' Press Conference
Friday December 6
5.45am: F1 Academy Practice
7am: F2 Practice
9am: Abu Dhabi GP Practice One (session starts at 9.30am)*
10.55am: F2 Qualifying
12.45pm: Abu Dhabi GP Practice Two (session starts at 1pm)*
2.30pm: F1 Academy Qualifying*
3.15pm: The F1 Show*
Saturday December 7
8.10am: F1 Academy Race One
10.15am: Abu Dhabi GP Practice Three (session starts at 10.30am)
12.10pm: F2 Sprint Race
1.15pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying build-up
2pm: ABU DHABI GP QUALIFYING*
4pm: F1 Academy: Race Two
5pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook
Sunday December 8
7.10am: F1 Academy Race Three
9.20am: F2 Feature Race
11.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Abu Dhabi GP build-up
1pm: The ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
3pm: Chequered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP reaction
4pm: Ted's Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Watch the final race of the 2024 Formula 1 season - the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday's race at 1pm. Get Sky Sports F1 or stream with NOW
