Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend that he doesn’t hate reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, with the Austrian actually “really” liking him.
Wolff shared his view on Verstappen after revealing that a Dutch nanny assumed she “wouldn’t stand a chance” of being hired by Wolff and Susie Wolff, due to her nationality.
The Mercedes boss certainly doesn’t hate Verstappen, with that simply being something that most believed due to Red Bull’s and Mercedes’ titanic 2021 title fight.
Wolff explained in Azerbaijan that he asked the nanny “why” she assumed she wouldn’t be hired, before adding how he really feels about the Red Bull star.
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“I asked why not and she thought I hated Max Verstappen,” Wolff told De Telegraaf newspaper.
“But I really like Max,” he admitted.
Wolff is actually a huge fan of Verstappen and openly admits that as things stand, the 25-year-old and Red Bull are “the benchmark”, especially as the double World Champion “doesn’t make mistakes anymore”.
“Max, in combination with his car, is the benchmark,” Wolff said.
“He has matured so much and doesn’t make mistakes anymore.
“And he’s only 25 years old, right? You wouldn’t think someone of that age is so mature, also on his outlook on life. It’s really impressive.”
Whilst Verstappen has certainly matured in recent years, he does still have odd outbursts on occasion, including on Saturday in Baku.
Verstappen waited for George Russell in parc ferme after the sprint race to complain to the Mercedes driver, after he collided with the Red Bull driver’s sidepod on the opening lap.
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Their interesting dialogue ended with Verstappen calling Russell a “di*khead” on live TV, but Wolff actually doesn’t mind the Dutchman showing “that raw edge”, with it being something the Austrian is a fan of.
“Whether it’s Max, Lewis, Michael, Ayrton Senna, they’re all different,” said Wolff. “But they all have that raw edge.
“I like people like that – difficult people. It often means they have more ambition and more dedication, and it applies not only to drivers but also the other top people within a team.”