Toto Wolff denies that there is any correlation between the numerous incidents involving Max Verstappen in 2021 and his clash with Lando Norris in Austria.

The Mercedes boss was reacting to Andrea Stella's claim that yesterday's incident was due to the fact that the sport's powers that be have been too lenient towards the Dutchman in the past.

"If you don't address these things honestly, they will come back," Stella told Sky Sports in the aftermath of yesterday's race. "They have come back today because they were not addressed properly in the past when there were some fights with Lewis Hamilton.

"That needed to be punished in a harsher way," he added. "Then, you learn how to race in a certain way, which we can consider fair and square."

"I don't think you can take this conclusion," said Wolff, when told of the Italian's claim. "It's been so long and from our side," he continued. We are in a different place today, and I think he is.

"It takes two to tango," he added. "I haven't seen Lando and Max's race to be honest. I haven't seen how all of that came about. I first need to watch it before I have an opinion but I wouldn't see that as a big consequence of 2021 not having been managed well to what happened in 2024. I don't think they have a correlation."

Although delighted with his team's win since 2022, Wolff is all too aware that it was by default and that there is still much work to be done... especially if Mercedes is to tempt Max Verstappen to make the move to the Three Pointed Star.

We need two to crash at the front to win at the moment," he said. "I think we still need to look at ourselves and say what can we do to have a car that makes us able to race with these two in the front? And do it more regularly.

"This is a moment where we can say that we can be a harbour port, a destination for the best drivers, including Max," he added. "But we are not there yet so I'm not even... if I was him, I would not be even considering such a move... yet."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Spindoctor, 02/07/2024 14:34

"It had SFA to do with "whining" on the radio. I've watched a lot of video of various moves by Max & it's pretty clear that he was determined to stop Norris by fair moves or foul, several times he chose the latter.

"

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2. Posted by Stitch431, 02/07/2024 11:52

"Alex Wurz said it was clearly a race incident. As a matter of fact, if you (Norris) throw in so many dive bombs. You have to reckon with the fact, that it can go wrong (which in the end is what happened). The whining on the radio is a sorry trend in my opinion. In 2023 Vertstappen himself was on the inside in a similar incident with Sainz, and he got less room than he left Norris now. Still Max drove around it, where Norris did not. Are we racing here? Or ist it a whining contest? Let your skills do the talking and just turn off the radios. That is my opinion on this."

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3. Posted by Burton, 01/07/2024 11:30

"Spineless."

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4. Posted by ARL, 01/07/2024 11:03

"Toto trying to schmooze the Max and his odious clan to come over to Mercedes? Perhaps giving a better car to the drivers he has/is about to lose might have been a better strategy over the last 3 years.

As Max 2021 was just encouraged in his behaviour by Horner and Marko, I don't think we will ever see a more mature Max whenever dominance is threatened in future. We don't need Toto turning Uriah Heep and apologising for him too."

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5. Posted by Spindoctor, 01/07/2024 10:22

"Poor old Toto, he clearly needs to visit Specsavers.
Much as I admire VMax's raw speed, I have never been a fan of his racing tactics, largely because of his behaviour in 2021 when fighting with Lewis. What we saw on Sunday was a return to the VMax of that era. "They shall not pass" is a reasonable attitude, but F1 is still nominally at least a Sport & as such has both Rules & a sporting code. Verstappen's defence was, as has often been before, "desperate" as Norris later described it & his various last-minute moves should have been penalised. Sadly they were not & the seemingly inevitable clash happened. Just as in 2021 VMax, gained a points advantage over his nearest rival, who was forced to retire, despite the paltry 10 sec penalty.

Silverstone might show if VMax's return to his old ways is permanent or temporary, but I expect his car to be substantially faster, so the issue probably won't arise.
"

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Clash no correlation to 2021 incidents, claims Wolff

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