Toto Wolff thinks Verstappen is frustrated with Red Bull
Max criticizes the new regulations, but for the Mercedes boss the anger is due to the poor results
Toto Wolff believes that the criticism of Max Verstappen to the new regulations of the Formula 1 are linked to the difficulties on the track that the pilot is experiencing. Red Bull, more than a fundamental defect in the latest generation of single-seaters.
After abandoning the second Grand Prix of the new season, held in ChinaVerstappen toughened his speech, calling the new rules “a joke” and stating that the fans who like them “don’t understand racing.”
The pilot of Red Bull has been openly critical of this year’s new power unit regulations since it was first announced in 2023, and his stance has only strengthened since the start of the new season.
mercedesfor its part, has had a very solid start to the season, achieving a double in the first two Grands Prix, in addition to winning Saturday’s sprint race in Shanghai.
“I think Max is going through a real ordeal,” Wolff said. “If you look at the on-board camera footage from yesterday’s qualifying, it’s just awful to ride. You can see it with the naked eye.”
“But it’s not the same with many other teams. From a spectacle point of view, I think what we witnessed today between Ferrari and mercedes It has been a good race. “There have been many advances.”
“We are all part of an era of Formula 1 in which, literally, there was no overtaking. Sometimes we are too nostalgic about the ‘old days’. But I think the current product is good in itself.”
“We’ve also seen quite a bit of action in the middle of the grid. And that’s, in my opinion, the positive. Now, from the driver’s perspective – when it comes to that qualifying lap at the absolute limit – the situation is different.” Obviously, taking your foot off the accelerator during qualifying comes at a cost. I’m sure it’s hard for someone like Max—an all-out attack pilot—to take in and digest. But it is more, I would say, a problem specific to the car, which magnifies the magnitude of the problem itself.”
“Because if you sit in front of a TV or a screen, even Max himself would admit that the action at the front of the grid was interesting.”
Verstappen’s criticism mainly focuses on the additional emphasis that the new regulations give to electric power; a trend that tends to reward energy management over driving the car at the absolute limit of its grip.
New extra power and overtaking modes provide more opportunities to overtake rivals during races, but come at the cost of draining the battery, which can leave drivers helpless to defend their positions.
Toto Wolff acknowledges that the level of energy management required during qualifying is not to his liking, but believes that fans are enjoying this new competition.
“Yes, it would be fantastic to be able to approach qualifying with the pedal to the metal at all times,” he added. “But if you look at the fans and the excitement in the stands – the cheers every time an overtake occurs – as well as the atmosphere on social media, you’ll see that the younger fans – who make up the vast majority, spanning all demographic groups – love the current state of the sport.”
“So, yes, we can always look for ways to continue improving; but, today, all the indicators and all the data point to the fact that people are passionate about it. In fact, I discussed it with Stefano (Domenicali, CEO of the F1) and he thinks exactly the same. Therefore, the problem lies in the piloting experience itself, which—for some—is not entirely pleasant.”
