formula 1
Wolff: Statement about Verstappen series not the most intelligent
Toto Wolff limits his supposedly disrespectful statement about Max Verstappen’s record series. photo
© Lisi Niesner/AP/dpa
Toto Wolff is rowing back a bit. His statements about Max Verstappen’s record series were much discussed. In Singapore, the Mercedes boss commented on this again.
The Mercedes motorsport boss said after the Dutch Red Bull Formula 1 driver’s tenth victory in Monza: “I don’t know if Verstappen is interested in the record – it’s nothing that is important to me, none of these numbers. It’s for Wikipedia and no one reads it anyway.”
Now Wolff explained on the sidelines of the Singapore Grand Prix: “If you look at the comments under the circumstances, you can ask yourself: Was that the most intelligent thing I could have said? Maybe not.” The 51-year-old Viennese emphasized that he had said many times this year that only the best win the World Cup. “And you have to recognize what a great job is being done here.”
Verstappen cannot mathematically win his third world title in a row in Singapore, but depending on the outcome of the race he can win a week later in Suzuka, Japan. With a lead of 145 points over his teammate Sergio Pérez, there is no question that the 25-year-old Red Bull driver will become world champion again. Even if he had problems with his car on the street circuit on Friday.
“The best in the best car wins the World Cup,” emphasized Wolff, who himself shaped an era of victories and titles with Mercedes and, above all, record world champion Lewis Hamilton: “Formula 1 is a performance society.”
Verstappen had countered Wolff’s comment with a smile and a small tip of his own. He is not disappointed about it. “But they had a pretty shitty race, he was probably still pissed about their performance,” he said in Singapore. Sometimes Wolff sounds as if he were an employee of Red Bull. Luckily he wasn’t, said Verstappen.
The Mercedes team boss then explained that it was something he had picked up from Niki Lauda. He gave away his trophies for a free car wash. “You won’t find any memorabilia with me either. These numbers have never played a role for us,” said Wolff.