1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill has criticised Mercedes boss Toto Wolff for not being “very gracious”, as the Austrian insisted that Max Verstappen’s record for most consecutive victories was just “for Wikipedia”.
A very different side of Wolff was on show after the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, after Mercedes’ George Russell and Lewis Hamilton could only claim fifth and sixth.
The Silver Arrows were comfortably third in the pecking order and well behind Red Bull and Ferrari, who locked out the top four places.
It was the Milton Keynes-based team and Verstappen who were victorious once again though, as the reigning World Champion eclipsed Sebastian Vettel’s record for nine consecutive wins.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
Verstappen’s 10 wins in a row is a huge achievement by the Dutchman, given how competitive the field is.
The Dutchman’s win also marked Red Bull’s 15th in a row, something not even Mercedes achieved during their dominant period.
Wolff seemingly isn’t keeping count though, with him insisting that records like Verstappen’s are purely for the internet.
“Our situation was maybe a little bit different because we had two drivers fighting against each other within the team,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1.
“I don’t know whether he cares about the record. It’s not something that would be important for me, any of those numbers.
“It’s for Wikipedia and nobody reads that anyway.”
Hill dissected Wolff’s interview and was disappointed by the way in which the Mercedes team principal presented himself, with the ex-F1 driver insisting that Wolff is “usually very sporting”.
That definitely wasn’t the case on Sunday, making Hill think that the 51-year-old is “hurting”, as he knows exactly what Red Bull’s domination feels like.
“It sounded a bit churlish and not very gracious, and unlike Toto because he’s usually very sporting,” Hill told Sky Sports News.
READ: Christian Horner on Sergio Perez losing his podium due to penalty
“I think he’s hurting a bit now. They know what it’s like to be dominated and they didn’t even get on the podium.
“They seem to be a bit stymied and can’t seem to work out what to do, but who can? Ferrari did a great job in Monza – it suited their car, I think – but it seems like everywhere we go, the Red Bull has got the upper hand and we’ve just got to sit and watch this unfold.
“Can Red Bull win every race in the season? That’s not beyond the realms of possibility.”