It seems that Toto Wolff still wants to be well received by Max Verstappen, because the Austrian once again apologizes for the course of events around Silverstone 2021. In August, the team boss also had a bad reaction and now he again apologizes regrets his actions and regrets that he did not inquire further about the Limburger’s condition. The Mercedes man also emphasizes that more things happened during the season in question that were actually unacceptable.
In 2021, Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen were locked in a fierce battle for the championship, which would become Hamilton’s eighth or Verstappen’s first. Although the battle was only fought in Abu Dhabi, there were also many battles on the track during the season. This led to a major crash during the British Grand Prix, which even sent the Dutchman to hospital. The Mercedes team boss indicates for the second time in a relatively short time that he should have acted differently.
The focus was entirely on the championship
Wolff saw that the drivers did not give each other an inch every race and that was no different at Silverstone. “These guys rode with each other wheel to wheel not only during the first lap, but the entire time,” says the Austrian at the High Performance Podcast. Things went wrong in Copse Corner and Verstappen ended up in the tire pile on the British circuit. “There was that one moment where they both decided they weren’t going to give away the corner and it ended with that situation,” says the team boss. “Luckily he wasn’t injured,” said Wolff, referring to Verstappen.
Hamilton
The Austrian acknowledges that his own actions do not deserve a beauty prize. “I could have reacted better,” he admits. ‘Through a Red Bullengineer I heard he was okay. It was like: that has been checked off, Max is fine,” Wolff looks back on the immediate aftermath after the crash. Mercedes put the focus back on winning. ‘We continued to win the race and he (Verstappen, ed.) didn’t score any points. That was important for us to be able to get back into the championship,” said the man from the Silver Arrows, who acknowledges that sometimes people colored outside the lines. ‘The driving was sometimes not neat.’
A phone call to Jos Verstappen would have been appropriate
The fact that the German racing team focused entirely on the championship again after the news that Verstappen was fine should have been different, says Wolff. In retrospect, he should have inquired further about the condition the Dutchman was in. “I should have just picked up the phone and called Jos Verstappen,” says the team boss. ‘I would have asked: ‘Is he okay?’ And Jos would have told me about that situation,” Wolff thinks. “And that was fine.”
Wolff is also a father himself and that is precisely why he should have contacted Jos Verstappen, he believes. “I, as a father, should have called the driver’s father and just asked,” is the criticism of his own actions. “But I didn’t do that,” Wolff regrets. The Austrian emphasizes that there are no longer any problems between the Verstappen camp and himself. “We cleared the air then,” he says. “Although there were many more incidents that year that did not exactly meet the standards that can be expected of each other,” concludes the Mercedes team boss.
Toto Wolff’s Regrets: A Dramatic Race to Apologize
Ah, Toto Wolff—Mercedes’ own maestro of motorsport diplomacy—is back at it again, trying to keep Max Verstappen on good terms while polishing his own regret-filled rearview mirror. Could he be auditioning for an apology tour? It seems that the Austrian team boss has dusted off his “I’m Sorry” card once more, reflecting on the aftermath of the infamous Silverstone clash in 2021. Goodness! How many times can we say ‘sorry’ before we get a ‘thanks, Toto, but it’s time to move on’?
During that tumultuous 2021 season—a riveting epic pitting Lewis Hamilton against Max Verstappen, akin to watching a high-stakes soap opera where the cars go vroom and the drama unfolds at 200 mph—things truly reached a boiling point. In Silverstone, a moment of wheel-to-wheel jousting turned rather ugly, hurling Verstappen into the barriers, resulting in a trip to the hospital. Now, Toto’s regrets are rolling out like a mandatory pit stop—after all, a little self-reflection is free, unlike pit tires on a Sunday.
The Focus Was Entirely on the Championship
Wolff observed a gladiatorial battle on the asphalt, where Hamilton and Verstappen were about as accommodating as two cats in a cardboard box. “These guys have been fighting wheel to wheel since the start,” he recounts with an almost theatrical flair. You can picture it in slow motion—two titans unwilling to give an inch, clashing at Copse Corner, leading to Verstappen’s car finding a more intimate relationship with the tire barrier than anyone would prefer. “Lucky he wasn’t injured,” says a relieved Wolff. Well, that’s one positive spin on a precarious situation—keep your wellness to yourselves, eh?
But hold your horses! (Or maybe that should be, ‘hold your Red Bulls’?) Our venerable Austrian admits his actions weren’t winning any Sportsmanship Awards either. “I could have reacted better,” he laments, and bless him for realizing that just a tad too late. No one likes being a sore loser, or in this case, a contrite team principal who quickly shifted the script back to ‘where do we get those championship points?’ They say winning is everything…until it’s not.
A Phone Call to Jos Verstappen Would Have Been Appropriate
Ah yes! The classic “I know I should have done that” realization. Wolff muses aloud that maybe, just maybe, a simple phone call to Jos Verstappen was in order. “I should have just picked up the phone and called Jos Verstappen,” he says—it rolls off the tongue like a poetic confession from a racing god. It’s that classic scenario of “oops, my bad.” Dodge a manual, but forget the human connection, eh?
As a father himself, he feels the weight of his missed opportunity—a missed chance of compassion amidst the racing chaos. “I, as a father, should have called the driver’s father,” he reflects, and a collective sigh of ‘thank-goodness-someone’s-humanity-shined-through’ fills the air. But don’t fret, dear readers, it seems Wolff has cleared the air with the Verstappen camp—though let’s be real, the incident was just part of a dramatic season filled with more bumps than a good ol’ road trip.
He acknowledges that the year was littered with incidents that didn’t quite fall within the lines of acceptable racing conduct. “People colored outside the lines,” he says as if discussing an elementary school art project gone wrong. Ah, Toto, if only you could retrace your steps with the same agility you expect from your drivers behind the wheel! Though it seems apology numbers are spiraling, let’s hope it translates into a continued, albeit cordial, rivalry on the track.
So, as we zoom towards the next race, let’s see if there’s more than just tires screeching and engines roaring ahead. Perhaps Wolff’s next phone call to Jos will be filled with less regret and more racing gossip. Because if there’s one thing we love more than a good race, it’s the drama off the track—besides, there are enough twists and turns in Formula 1 to write a whole series of suspense thrillers!
Toto Wolff continues to seek reconciliation with Max Verstappen, expressing his regret once more regarding the tumultuous events that transpired during the 2021 Silverstone Grand Prix. Following a troubling reaction in August, the Mercedes team principal has publicly apologized, acknowledging his regret over not inquiring more deeply about Verstappen’s well-being after the incident. Wolff emphasizes that various incidents throughout that season were, in his view, entirely unacceptable.
In 2021, the championship battle between Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen reached a fever pitch, with Hamilton aiming for an unprecedented eighth title and Verstappen vying for his inaugural championship. Though the season culminated in a dramatic showdown in Abu Dhabi, numerous on-track clashes set the stage for high-octane racing. The chaos peaked during the British Grand Prix, where a significant crash sent Verstappen crashing into the barriers and transported him to the hospital for precautionary checks. Wolff’s repeated acknowledgments of his missteps underscore the gravity of those moments.
The focus was entirely on the championship
Wolff noted that the rivalry between the two drivers reached an intensity where neither was willing to concede even the smallest advantage during races, particularly at Silverstone. “These guys rode with each other wheel to wheel not only during the first lap but the entire time,” reflects the Austrian in a candid conversation on the High Performance Podcast. The pivotal incident occurred at Copse Corner, resulting in Verstappen’s harrowing crash into the tire barriers. “There was that one moment where they both decided they weren’t going to give away the corner and it ended with that situation,” Wolff explained. “Luckily he wasn’t injured,” he added, grateful for Verstappen’s safety.
The Austrian acknowledges that his own actions do not deserve a beauty prize. “I could have reacted better,” he admits. ‘Through a Red Bull engineer I heard he was okay. It was like: that has been checked off, Max is fine,” Wolff looks back on the immediate aftermath after the crash. Mercedes put the focus back on winning. ‘We continued to win the race and he (Verstappen, ed.) didn’t score any points. That was important for us to be able to get back into the championship,” said the man from the Silver Arrows, who acknowledges that sometimes people colored outside the lines. ‘The driving was sometimes not neat.’
A phone call to Jos Verstappen would have been appropriate
Wolff expressed that, in light of the situation, the Mercedes team’s sharp focus on championship points after confirming Verstappen’s well-being should have been tempered with greater empathy. In hindsight, he admits he should have reached out for an update on Verstappen’s condition. “I should have just picked up the phone and called Jos Verstappen,” says the team boss. ‘I would have asked: ‘Is he okay?’ And Jos would have told me about that situation,” Wolff thinks. “And that was fine.”
Wolff is also a father himself and that is precisely why he should have contacted Jos Verstappen, he believes. “I, as a father, should have called the driver’s father and just asked,” is the criticism of his own actions. “But I didn’t do that,” Wolff regrets. The Austrian emphasizes that there are no longer any problems between the Verstappen camp and himself. “We cleared the air then,” he says. “Although there were many more incidents that year that did not exactly meet the standards that can be expected of each other,” concludes the Mercedes team boss.
Tter grade either. In the heat of the moment, Wolff shifted his focus back to the championship at hand, which he now recognizes could have compromised a more human response to a dramatic event. “I could have reacted better,” he admitted, understanding that the competitive drive can sometimes overshadow the essential empathy between rivals.
As the seasons have rolled on since that fateful day in 2021, Wolff’s public reflections on the incident demonstrate a willingness to learn and grow from past mistakes. His remorse for not reaching out to Jos Verstappen directly is emblematic of the complexities of racing dynamics—where split-second decisions can have profound long-term repercussions, not just on the track but off it as well.
A father and empathetic leader, Wolff’s acknowledgment of his misstep resonates with fans who appreciate the emotional side of racing beyond the mechanics and statistics. As he reflects on the lessons learned, he hopes that the future not only brings fierce competition between Mercedes and Red Bull Racing but also fosters an atmosphere of mutual respect among the individuals driving behind the wheel.
As the upcoming races approach, all eyes will be on how Wolff continues to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of F1 rivalries, perhaps with a newfound commitment to both competitive excellence and compassionate diplomacy. After all, the world of Formula 1 thrives not just on the adrenaline of speed but also on the stories that unfold between the exhilarating moments. And surely, fans would relish the opportunity for a few less “sorrys” and a few more heartfelt alliances along the way.
