Formerly behind-the-scenes figures, team principals are increasingly stepping into the limelight of the F1 soap opera
Posing for selfies, signing autographs and manoeuvring through eager fans it seems is no longer the sole prerogative of Formula One’s glamour drivers. Max Verstappen might have cantered to the title this year but over the past two seasons the fascination with those pulling the strings has been a remarkable draw for the sport. Welcome to the show within a show, the cult of the F1 team principal.
While drivers traded licks on track so have their bosses’ increasingly public and competitive egos battled for attention. Mercedes’ Toto Wolff and Red Bull’s Christian Horner have been centre stage of this soap opera, enthusiastically documented by the Netflix series Drive to Survive.