Toto Wolff hasn’t shied away from his comments concerning Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s records. The Austrian argued that only “Wikipedia” gives significance to the 10-race win streak Verstappen had just recorded.
Red Bull and Mercedes have a well-documented rivalry at this stage, especially after the controversy of the 2021 season.
The bitterness between the two teams goes beyond the white lines on track, with Christian Horner and Toto Wolff exchanging blows on a relatively common basis.
However, last week, it was Lewis Hamilton who struck the first blow with his analysis of Max Verstappen’s teammates.
According to the 7-time Champion, the 25-year-old is yet to face high-calibre teammates. The Dutchman swiftly issued a response.
After the race on Sunday, unprompted by his Red Bull counterpart, Wolff rejected the relevance of Verstappen’s statistical rampage.
Speaking to the media slightly later, Wolff further emphasised the lack of importance he attributes to statistics in F1:
“For me, these kinds of records are completely irrelevant. They were irrelevant in our good days in Mercedes.
“I don’t know how many races we’ve won or [how many] in a row. I didn’t even know there was a count on how many races you win in a row,” The Race quotes him as saying.
“Therefore, asking me for comment on some achievement is difficult. Because it never played a role in my own life.
“But the result shows that a great driver in a great car is competing at an extremely high level.”
Perhaps Wolff is being honest in the value he attributed to records in Formula 1, having achieved several Championships with the Silver Arrows.
Then again, the 51-year-old was far more complimentary of statistics and records when Mercedes was the team achieving them.
Amidst all this off-track bickering, the true battle rages on in the factory and simulators – as teams push ahead with development for next season.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
