"It was misunderstood," says Toto Wolff of his suggestion that Ferrari's constant upgrades could see the Maranello outfit exceed the budget cap.

Speaking in Austria, having previously warned about the increasing threat from Ferrari, Wolff 'queried' the amount of upgrades the Italian team is constantly bringing to its car, suggesting that the team might risk breaking the spending cap.

On arrival in Briton, Wolff's comments were immediately put to Fred Vasseur, who was clearly unhappy with the suggestion.

"I find it quite ironic coming from Toto and Mercedes," said the Frenchman. "When Red Bull is developing, or when Mercedes is developing, they are a genius... when we are developing, we are cheating.

"I think you have to calm down with this," he added. "We didn't bring more parts than Red Bull or another one, I don't know if it was a joke."

While the media wanted to push harder, the Frenchman wasn't having it, clearly keen to avoid confrontation.

"If you have to ask something to Toto, go to Toto and ask him why he spoke about me," he said. "Honestly, I have no clue."

It was clear that Vasseur, usually one of the most cheerful souls in the sport, wasn't happy, yet still they pushed. Asked if he had spoken to Wolff about his claims, he replied: "I think it better to avoid to speak."

When they're not extolling the merits of the 2026 rules overhaul, there's nothing the media likes better than a feud, or even the suggestion of a feud, and since Christian Horner's departure - of which more later - things have been fairly peaceful on that front.

However, with Ferrari looking an increasing threat to Mercedes, and Vasseur's reaction to Wolff's suggestion, what better time to stir the pot.

Consequently, in the aftermath of qualifying, the Sky team asked Woll about his claim, while pointing out Vasseur's reaction to it.

"Fred is very emotional," said the Austrian. "If he would have read my comments rather than just a headline, he would have seen what I said was an observation and would be interesting to see how much updates one can pull out at the end of the season.

"But you know it's just the emotionality that we all have," he added. "And being passionate of our own team's success, I'm fine with that."

Asked if the Frenchman - and indeed pretty much everyone else - had taken his comment out of context, Wolff replied: "Yeah. It was misunderstood. If I say things that I want to be understood, I will do so too, but in that case I didn't mean it really."

Meanwhile, almost a year to the day since he was fired, Horner is back in the paddock today, where, amongst other things, he will be promoting his memoir, Drive.

In Drive, Horner "reveals the decision-making, relationships and defining moments that shaped a remarkable career. He also reflects on the challenges of building a team, managing elite talent, navigating periods of success and adversity, and leading under the intense scrutiny that accompanies life at the pinnacle of international competition.

"Rich with personal reflections, behind-the-scenes stories from the paddock and insights into the personalities at the heart of F1, Drive is a gripping account of what it takes to grow, sustain and lead a championship-winning team in one of the most demanding environments in sport.

"Taking readers inside his twenty-year career in Formula One, Drive is a compelling account of leadership, ambition and resilience at the highest level of global sport," we are told.

"From his appointment in 2005 as the youngest team principal in F1 history, Horner led Red Bull as they re-wrote the rule book and became a dominant force, winning fourteen World Championship titles. His memoir offers unprecedented access and a unique perspective on one of the most dramatic periods Formula 1 has ever seen, and tells the inside story of how an operation acquired for £1 established itself as one of the most valuable and recognisable sports teams in the world."

Yet to find a new role in the sport, despite being linked with several teams, perhaps Horner could be persuaded to become an official friend of F1.