Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Red Bull boss Christian Horner don't like each other very much, you don't need to be an expert in human relations.
While there is clearly a mutual respect between the two, Wolfe and Horner never shy away from taking a jibe at each other in public. That's what happened again in the past few weeks, with the pair exchanging shots very publicly during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Red Bull's controversial "flexi" wing.
But this beef is years old.
This is perhaps not surprising – as heads of two of F1's most powerful teams, they often find themselves on opposing sides of political issues that are shuffled away behind the scenes.
Add to that the on-track reality that one of them, Wolff, is in charge of the team that replaced the other's team in 2014 as the dominant force in F1. Things have an added dimension to them this year with Red Bull now leading both the championship for the first time since 2013 and Mercedes looking on the backfoot.
Horner, in particular, has never been one to shy away from confrontation. One of the most memorable parts of Netflix's Drive to Survive series was his awkward exchange with former Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul.
A quick internet search with the right words and you can find plenty of examples of Wolfe or Horner telling others to stop complaining about something. In 2015, Wolff scolded Horner for publicly criticizing engine supplier Renault so publicly, saying he and Red Bull should just put their heads down and work harder to get back to the front. In 2016, Horner criticized Wolff for a phone call he made to Jos Verstappen to talk about his son Max's aggressive driving style, a controversial issue at the time.
In the years that followed, in which Mercedes has enjoyed almost unprecedented success, Horner has enjoyed the opportunity to portray Wolff as someone who fears even the slightest threat to his team's dominance from the front. is.
When Mercedes blocked the reverse grid offer that was floating before the start of last year's delayed season, Wolff likened it to "a WWE gimmick", with Horner accusing the Austrian of being concerned that it would lead to the loss of Lewis Hamilton. The prospect of a seventh world title could be in danger.
The pair clashed even before the pandemic, during pre-season testing in February, when Mercedes rolled out its innovative Dual Axis Steering (DAS) system.
While the rhetoric was cheeky enough for the cameras, what happened behind closed doors was a little less. Horner and Red Bull protested against DAS ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, something Wolff praised as the right decision for F1 - fearing a post-race protest would put a damper on the first event since the pandemic . The protest was rejected by the FIA.
While cooler heads seem to prevail behind closed doors, both men prefer to control the narrative in public discourse. Horner in particular rarely misses an opportunity to poke a bear and his remarks in Baku were effective in provoking a backlash.
Hamilton was the first to comment on Red Bull's rear wing, which Horner said the seven-time world champion had been instructed to do by Wolff.
Horner went on full attack mode before the sixth race of the year. An interview with Sky Sports showed footage of Red Bull flexing its wing at top speed, with the footage being shown to resemble the front wing of a Mercedes.
To that, Horner said: "I think if I were with Toto with the front wing on his car, I'd keep my mouth shut."
Mercedes was likely to file an official protest at Red Bull's rear wing, but this did not happen at any point during the weekend.
But while Wolff and Mercedes did not pursue the issue with the FIA, Wolff was unwilling to challenge Horner's statement.
Speaking in response to Horner's comments, Wolff told Sky Sports: "Christian is a windbag who wants to be on camera.
"It's easy to be punchy when you're at the top of the times sheet but you have to be a little more polite."
It was a great soundbite that made a great headline.
The race that took place in Baku was remarkably dramatic and left Mercedes without scoring a point. This has prompted Wolff to say his team needs to improve across the board if it is to beat Red Bull's 2021 title.
Horner couldn't resist the opportunity to leave Baku with the last word.
When Wolfe's comments were given to him, Horner said: "I mean, a lot has been done about Toto's comments this weekend.
"He's never afraid to publicly redeem his team, which I disagree with. But that's his prerogative."
While complaints over the front and rear wings are likely to be pacified, the fact Red Bull and Mercedes are locked in a real championship fight this year means that Wolff and Horner have it all to survive this very public war of words. There are going to be lots of opportunities. End of season.