LIVID Wolff slams Horner amid Verstappen & Russell 'BULLY' saga

Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff has hit out at his Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner as the feud between Max Verstappen and George Russell continues to escalate.

The rival drivers have been engaged in a war of words since last weekend's Qatar Grand Prix, following an incident which occurred during Saturday's qualifying session.

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After being handed a one-place grid penalty at the Lusail International Circuit, Verstappen accused Russell of lying to stewards in order to force through the punishment.

Russell responded to Verstappen's claims by stating he had lost all respect for the four-time champion, before proceeding to label him a 'bully' ahead of this weekend's season finale in Abu Dhabi.

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Wolff hits out at Red Bull boss

Horner previously backed his star driver in the aftermath, accusing Russell of being 'hysterical' throughout the weekend, a comment which riled Wolff.

The Austrian came out in support of his own racer on Thursday, gate-crashing Russell's pre-race press conference to have his say on the matter.

“Why does he [Horner] feel entitled to comment about my driver?” said Wolff. “If you're thinking about it and spent 90 seconds to think about it…yapping little terrier. Always something to say.

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“I'll tell you clearly: 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.

“Now, 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?”

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