Horner says he rejected Mercedes team principal offer in 2012

Christian Horner says Niki Lauda offered him the Mercedes Formula 1 team principal role around Christmas 2012, and that he rejected it. Horner recounts the approach in his memoir, *Drive*; Lauda was then a Mercedes non-executive director seeking to lure him away from Red Bull.

The offer came after Horner had spoken with Lewis Hamilton, who was looking to leave McLaren. Horner decided against pairing Hamilton with Sebastian Vettel, then a three-time champion, and directed Lauda towards Hamilton; Mercedes announced Hamilton’s deal in September 2012. Red Bull and Vettel had just secured their third consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ championship double.

At Horner’s home, Lauda laid out figures that Horner understood to be the salary on offer. Horner says Lauda argued that Red Bull could not match Mercedes’ pay. Horner says he declined because he felt loyal to Dietrich Mateschitz and the team.

Mercedes signed Toto Wolff for 2013, when he served under Ross Brawn. From 2014, Wolff and Paddy Lowe split the usual team-principal duties and guided Mercedes to the first three of its seven consecutive championship doubles.