Mercedes boss Toto Wolff advises Christian Horner to "do the math" following claims that over 200 engineers have left Mercedes HPP for Red Bull Powertrains.

Speaking in Miami, in the wake of Adrian Newey's confirmation that he was to leave Red Bull, Zak Brown - with barely concealed glee - predicted that the dominoes were about to start falling and that he had already seen a number of CVs from members of the Austrian team looking to get out.

Poo-pooing the claim, Christian Horner replied: "I don't know how many people we or RB have employed from McLaren this year... Mercedes, we have taken 220 people out of HPP into Red Bull Powertrains.

"So, when we are talking about losing people, I would be a bit more worried about the 220 than maybe one or two CVs," he added.

Though unable to take on his nemesis on track at present, Toto Wolff wasn't about to let such a claim go unchallenged.

"You've got to work on the math," said the Austrian in Imola at the weekend. "19 engineers...

"So, you know, whatever those numbers are, I think there is a natural fluctuation between teams that come and go, which is completely normal," he added. "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 of organisational set-up, in terms of the people that works there that I'm lucky to interact with, it's a perfect organisation.

"They have delivered for a long time," he continued. "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 smiled, a clear reference to when Red Bull takes to the grid as an engine manufacturer in its own right.

Since the start of the new formula in 2014, of the 211 races, Mercedes has won 115 (54.5%), albeit with only two wins over the last three seasons. Honda, which returned in 2015, has won 60 races since 2019, while since 2014 Ferrari has won 20 and Renault 16.