Toto Wolff aims to dig at Red Bull as he discusses poaching of staff at Mercedes

Toto Wolff took aim at Christian Horner and Red Bull insisting that staff moving between teams is completely normal, but most teams don't need to issue a press release when it happens product. In April, Helmut Marko suggested 'something like' 50 Mercedes staff had left to join Red Bull's fledgling powertrains, but the significance of that has now been downplayed by the Silver Arrows chief.

Last year Red Bull found itself looking for a new engine supplier after Honda decided to pull out of the sport. Rather than strike a deal with a rival team, the drinks maker decided to go it alone by creating its own Red Bull Powertrains engine unit with the help of the Japanese car brand.

To help achieve this goal, the team have recruited key personnel from across the paddock with Mercedes duo Ben Hodgkinson and Phil Prew among those making the trip. The changes were big news in the Formula 1 sphere, with many believing Red Bull was looking to do a bigger deal in order to look like they had taken over their rivals.

However, Wolff has now hit back at Horner and the Red Bull team by suggesting that personnel changes are constantly happening in the paddock, with other teams not really finding the need to publicize them.

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"It's totally normal," Wolff said. "We also have these moves from other power unit manufacturers, although we don't put out a press release for them every time it happens."

The German doesn't think there's a major reason for the pace at which the squad members made the switch between the two rivals, instead suggesting the reasoning is as simple as the location. The Mercedes and Red Bull bases are located just 30 miles apart, making it easy for mechanics to jump ship if they fancy a new challenge.

The comments came after the 50-year-old was asked if he feared losing more staff to Audi, with the German manufacturer widely considering a move into the sport.

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"I think the biggest competition is and was Red Bull because they're just around the corner," Wolff said. "I think there's a bigger hurdle in changing power unit manufacturers when it comes to moving to Germany, so that's definitely not something that worries me the most."

Wolff and Horner will face off again this weekend as the Formula 1 circus travels to South Asia for the Singapore Grand Prix.