Toto Wolff has hit back at Christian Horner’s claim that Red Bull have poached 220 people from Mercedes’ F1 engine department.

Horner caused a stir in Miami with a cl🃏aim that Red Bull Powertrains have signed over 200 of Mercedes’ 🍃staff.

The Red Bull boss said: “Mercedes, we’ve taken 220 people, 220, out of🐻 HPP into Red Bull Powertrains so when we talk a🐠bout losing people I would be more worried about the 220 than one or two CVs.”

Horner’s response stemmed from Zak Brown’s claim that Adrian Newey’s 🍌exit w𒁃ould be the first “domino” to fall in terms of Red Bull exits.

Speaking after this weekend’s Emilia Rꦚomagna Grand Prix, Wolff was💮 asked about Horner’s remarkable claim.

With regards to the 220 figur🥂e, Wolff ꧙said: “You’ve got to work on the maths. 19 engineers.

“And so, you know, whatever those nu🐼mbers are, I think there is a natural fluctuation between teams that come and go, which is completely🐷 normal. 

“We have an engine department that is as good as it can be, with a top leadership., there is not a🏅 millimetre in HPP that should be different in terms o🐎f organisational set-up, in terms of the people that works there that I’m lucky to interact with, it’s a perfect organisation.”

All manufacturers are gearing up to the 2026 regulations💫 where new engine 💦rules are introduced.

2026 will also see Red Bull build their own pow♚er unit for the first time, hence their heavy recruitment drive.

Mercedes famously nailed the new engine rules in 2014, buildi🎃ng the foundations for their years of 🔜dominance.

Wolff remains convinced Mercedes are still “the be♛nchmark” when it comes to engines in F1.

“They have delivered for  a long time, since 2014 we have been the benchmark, with maybe another engine ༒the benchmark, that hasn’t changed.I really can't wait for 2026 to come and see the 🌸different levels of performance of the power unit,” he added.