Toto Wolff wishes for a healthier rivalry between Hamilton and Verstappen
The executive director of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, thinks that if the relationship between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton does not improve, it could lead to more clashes.
In recent days, relations between Red Bull and Mercedes continue to deteriorate. The two team principals are exchanging remarks through the media regarding the crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at the British Grand Prix.
While the Briton is open to a conversation with his rival and while Helmut Marko promises that there will be no retaliation from the Dutchman in Hungary, Toto Wolff fears that the deteriorated relationship between the two drivers could lead to another incident.
« I think that the intensity [of the Hamilton/Verstappen rivalry] has increased since Silverstone. This is certainly not the last time they will fight for a position on the track, and hopefully in the future, these battles will take place in a more sporting manner. Otherwise, there will be more collisions,” he says in an interview with our colleagues at Motorsport.com.
The Austrian also admitted that in the past, his driver always avoided situations that could end in contact, but this time Hamilton and Verstappen’s level of commitment led to the crash.
« I think that Hamilton’s success does not only come from his talent on the track but also from his maturity. Thinking long-term is crucial for winning championships, as you have to score points. In the last few races, we have reached a point where giving up a position on the track was part of the game. This time, neither of them gave in, and it ended in a heavy collision. »
« I think he did not try to prove something. He won 99 races and was seven times World Champion. Lewis Hamilton no longer needs to prove anything, he continued.
Everyone still remembers his clashes with his former friend and 2016 world champion, Nico Rosberg. During their time together at Mercedes, the two drivers clashed several times, notably in Spa in 2014, before in 2016, they put each other out of the race in Barcelona.
The current battle differs from the Hamilton-Rosberg match on one important point: it is two members of different teams fighting. A situation more comfortable according to Wolff:
« External conflicts are easy to manage. It’s very different from what we’ve experienced within the team. Internal conflicts are very difficult to manage because both drivers must be in a good state of mind to win the constructor championship, and they must drive while respecting the team’s and brand’s values,” he explained.
