© Sebastian Kawka for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff gives his view on the on-track incident between George Russell and Max Verstappen, and the fiery aftermath in parc ferme.
On lap 1 of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sprint Race, George Russell and Max Verstappen were involved in a battle for P3, which led to a collision that damaged Max’s sidepod.
After the race, Max confronted George in parc ferme, but the Briton wasn’t interested in a discussion. This caused Verstappen to call him a “d**khead”.
Afterwards Wolff gave his view on the on-track incident.
“If I’m George, I’m doing exactly the same; if I’m Max, I’m upset,” the Austrian said.
“I think [George] defended well. I think it’s dangerous to overtake round the outside, because you could either end up in the run-off or end up in the wall.
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“Or you could have somebody on the inside who is weak and gives you all the place in the world.
“But, you know, on the inside it’s quite an angle you need to achieve, and if you try to turn around there tightly, you’re going to lose out on the next straight.”
He then commented on Verstappen’s post-race rant.
“If it’s your team mate winning and you finish third, and you don’t have performance in the car because you have a big hole, absolutely you’re upset, and each of them vents that differently.
“As long as you’re authentic, that’s good. And Max is quite outspoken, probably forgets about it one hour later
“That’s OK,” Wolff concluded.
