Red Bull’s key adviser Helmut Marko has fired back at Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff following his dismissive comments regarding Max Verstappen’s remarkable winning streak.
Verstappen recently clinched his 10th consecutive victory at the Italian Grand Prix, a historic feat in Formula 1.
However, Wolff’s response to this achievement has sparked controversy.
Wolff’s comments, downplaying the significance of Verstappen’s record-breaking streak, caught the attention of the Formula 1 community.
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“I don’t know if he cares about the records,” he said.
“It is not something that would be important for me.
“Those numbers, it is for Wikipedia and nobody reads that anyway.”
In response to Wolff’s remarks, Marko took a measured approach, emphasising the differences between Red Bull and Mercedes.
He asserted, “That’s the difference [between Mercedes and us].
We look at our team to get the best performance from our own team, and we don’t worry about Mercedes as long as they are not a serious competitor for us.
“So we just look after our own thing, we do the best we can, and we don’t make up all those kinds of stories like they do.”
Marko’s focus remained on Max Verstappen’s remarkable achievement, recognising its significance.
He stated, “For Max, this winning streak means a lot.
“For me personally, getting the 100th win as a team was even more special than this, but it’s fantastic for Max.
“I think it was very important for him to break that record.
“Now he’s got it, so I think he’s a bit more relaxed for the next races.”
Critics, including prominent figures in the world of Formula 1, voiced their disapproval of Wolff’s comments.
Damon Hill, a former Formula 1 World Champion, expressed his disappointment, noting that Wolff’s remarks appeared uncharacteristically unsportsmanlike.
He commented, “It sounded a bit churlish and not very gracious.
“It’s unlike Toto because he’s usually very sporting.
“But he is hurting a bit now.
“They know what it is like to be dominant, and they didn’t even get on the podium in Monza.
“They seem to be a bit stymied and can’t seem to work out what to do. But who can?
“It seems like everywhere we go, Red Bull has got the upper hand.”
Martin Brundle, a former Formula 1 driver and commentator, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the importance of acknowledging excellence in others. He said, “Sport can and should be tribal, but you must surely also appreciate a level of excellence in others.
“So I was a little surprised and disappointed that Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff played down this achievement over the weekend because they rightly received their due reverence and appreciation during their years of total domination from 2014 to 2020.”
Nico Rosberg, another former Formula 1 World Champion, offered a more empathetic perspective on Wolff’s response.
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He suggested that Wolff’s demeanour might have been influenced by the team’s current challenges.
Rosberg remarked, “I think Toto was just a bit down there, and that made his answer a bit darker and not quite as gracious.
Not quite as gracious as perhaps he would normally be because I think the right answer would have been, ‘Hats off and respect to Red Bull for their achievements’.”