22/07/2021
NEWS STORY
Dismissing criticism from Red Bull for its post-race celebrations at Silverstone, Toto Wolff insists Mercedes was given the all-clear on Max Verstappen by the FIA and the Austrian team itself.
Among the criticism levelled at Mercedes on Sunday, was the fact that the German team celebrated its victory while Max Verstappen was still hospitalised. Indeed, the Dutch driver himself was critical of the post-race scenes, labelling them "disrespectful", as were the 'gruesome twosome' Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.
However, Toto Wolff insists that the celebrations only went ahead after his team received the all-clear on the Dutch driver's condition from the FIA and Red Bull itself.
It's important to understand all the feedback that we received," Wolff tells Motorsport.com. "We had the feedback from senior management of Red Bull that Max was fine. Christian mentioned it to Michael Masi on the intercom that he's unharmed and fine, and the FIA gave us similar feedback.
"So at no point would we have celebrated if Max would have been injured... I think that's very important to understand."
The Austrian reveals that while race-winner Hamilton was advised that Verstappen was out of his car and ok shortly after the accident, it was only at the post race interview that he was told that the Dutch driver had been hospitalised.
"Lewis asked, even in the car as he was passing the accident, whether he was out of the car," said Wolff. "He got the response that he was out of the car himself."
Asked if Hamilton was notified that Verstappen had in fact been hospitalised, the Austrian added: "The only information we got was that Max was fine, and that's why there was no need to further elaborate to Lewis.
"We must not forget that we won a grand prix after five negative weekends," he continued. "It was Lewis winning the British Grand Prix, and it's clear that that makes the emotions go high.
"As far as the comments that were made, sometimes defamatory, sometimes very personal, I think everyone needs to do it their way. We just see it, but from my standpoint, there is nothing really to say to that."