02/07/2024
NEWS STORY
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."
Check out our Sunday gallery from the Red Bull Ring here.