Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes, has expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing battles between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. According to Wolff, the incidents between the two title rivals create a spectacular ‘show’, from which Mercedes also benefits. However, Wolff is pleased that Verstappen received a total of twenty seconds in time penalties during the Mexican Grand Prix.
The fight between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, and the subsequent two time penalties for the Dutch driver, are still the topic of conversation days after the Mexican Grand Prix. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff applauds the stewards’ decision to give Verstappen a twenty-second penalty.
“I think it was a very good decision by the stewards,” Wolff tells OE24. “And it makes it clear for the future that this kind of dirty driving is no longer allowed. So a terrible penalty of twenty seconds is the right precedent to set to ensure that such a thing does not happen in the future.”
Déjà vu
The on-track battle between Norris and Max Verstappen reminded Wolff of the title fight between the Red Bull driver and Lewis Hamilton in 2021. “This is a déjà vu for me. Only this time, it’s not about us, but about Norris. Although the animosity between Norris and Verstappen is not as great as between Hamilton and Verstappen, or Red Bull, in 2021.”
The Mercedes team boss is pleased with the rivalry between Verstappen and Norris. “For the show, it’s great, we all benefit from it, including me as a co-owner of a team,” Wolff continues. “If the show is good, then business will follow. In Mexico, there was something for everyone. The performances of Sainz, the subpar performances of Leclerc, the non-performance of Pérez, accidents that polarize opinions, our drivers as fierce competitors. But our top priority is winning.”
No threat from Red Bull?
However, Wolff predicts that the latter will be challenging in Brazil, but surprisingly does not mention Red Bull as a potential threat. “We know it will be difficult to compete with the Ferraris and the McLarens (in Brazil), who looked strong in recent races,” Wolff analyzes in the preview. “However, we will continue to work hard and will see what our relative performances are during the weekend.”
