Following Max Verstappen`s contentious clash with George Russell at the recent Spanish Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff commented that elite athletes occasionally perceive the world as being against them.
Verstappen and Russell had two incidents during Sunday`s race after a late Safety Car period. Russell, the Mercedes driver, described the second collision at Turn 5, which occurred while they were competing for fourth place, as feeling “deliberate.”
On Monday, Verstappen conceded his action “shouldn`t have happened,” and Red Bull team boss Christian Horner stated that Verstappen apologized to the team.
Before Verstappen took responsibility for the contact with Russell, Wolff was questioned about the Dutch driver`s demeanor, recalling the intense 2021 season-long championship fight Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton had against him.
Wolff commented, “There`s a pattern I`ve observed among top athletes, in motorsport and other fields. They need to feel the world is against them to perform at their peak. Sometimes, these great individuals fail to realize that the opposition isn`t external; they`ve simply made an error or misstep themselves. We haven`t witnessed these kinds of moments from Max in several years now. I recall 2021, which had such instances, but I`m unsure of their origin.”
Wolff Reflects on Challenging Triple-Header for Mercedes
In Spain, Russell eventually finished fourth, following the McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, and Ferrari`s Charles Leclerc. This was his best outcome from the recent European triple-header, having finished seventh in Imola and eleventh in Monaco. His Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli, did not score points in any of the three events, experiencing two engine failures and a poor performance in Monaco.
“It`s hard to find many positives,” admitted Wolff, “aside from the overall trend, which seemed slightly improved in terms of tire management.”
“However, we need to investigate if Kimi`s issue in Spain was indeed an engine failure, which it initially appears to be. Engine reliability is typically our strong suit, so we must understand the cause. More broadly, comprehending tire performance is crucial, as it will be a significant factor next year, in addition to all sporting and technical rules.”
In the Constructors` Championship, Mercedes has fallen to third place, trailing Ferrari and a substantial 203 points behind the leading team, McLaren.
Mercedes vehicles seem to struggle more in hotter conditions where tire degradation is significant. Wolff suggested this trait might be “engineered into the design” and part of the car`s inherent “DNA.”
“Even though we`re a large organization with numerous scientists and engineers, sometimes the exact reasons for a car`s behavior are unclear,” he added. “I`m not even sure McLaren fully understands why they are so quick; it often boils down to marginal gains, meticulous detail, and solid engineering.”
“Our car, over the years, has typically had more issues with rear tire overheating compared to competitors. We were consistently strong in colder conditions where this wasn`t a problem. For instance, looking back at Las Vegas last year, from the very first flying lap, our driver reported `that car is awesome, we have so much grip like never before.` Meanwhile, other drivers were complaining about `literally no grip` and sliding around. This characteristic is definitely inherent to the car`s design. While setup changes can either hide or exacerbate it, it`s something that`s fundamentally built into the vehicle.”
The Formula 1 season continues with the Canadian Grand Prix.
