Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has informed Purple Bull rival Christian Horner “how dare you” make accusations in regards to the psychological state of his driver George Russell.
Because the row between Russell and Max Verstappen over the Qatar grid penalty escalated forward of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Thursday, Wolff has additional ramped issues up by declaring his disproval of remarks that Horner made after the race.
Amid the fallout of the stewards listening to which has triggered the controversy, Horner accused Russell of triggering the one-place grid penalty for Verstappen via ‘hysterics’.
Talking to media, Horner stated: “I believe the penalty was extra based mostly on hysterics from George, who has been fairly hysterical this weekend.”
However Wolff is much from impressed about what Horner stated, and steered the Purple Bull boss crossed the road in making a private criticism of his driver.
“This can be a factor between drivers, that is George and Max, and I don’t need to become involved in that,” stated Wolff, who joined Russell’s common media session within the Yas Marina paddock on Thursday.
“But when the opposite group principal calls George hysteric, that is when he crosses a line for me.
“He isn’t into mental psychoanalysis, however that’s fairly a phrase. How dare you touch upon the frame of mind of my driver.”
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff, Toto Wolff, Staff Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff on the media spherical desk
Photograph by: Ronald Vording
Wolff additionally remarked that Horner was nothing greater than a “yapping little terrier” as he steered that Verstappen was solely appearing that method as a result of he had been allowed to do what he needed at Purple Bull.
He reckoned the truth that Horner was all the time totally supportive of all the pieces Verstappen did was not the proper strategy for a group boss to have.
“As a group principal, it is essential to be a sparring companion in your drivers, and meaning explaining that issues will be extra nuanced,” added Wolff.
“Statements which might be absolutistic, pondering that all the pieces is both 100% proper or 100% unsuitable, it is one thing I believe must be extra nuanced, relying in your notion and your perspective.
“You could enable for one thing to be 51/49, that you must enable it to be 70/30. So there’s all the time one other facet.
“And possibly if you take a look at it that method and also you clarify it to your drivers and to your group, you come to the conclusion that there’s reality on each side. In case you do not do this, you are falling wanting your function. It is simply weak.
“And, on the finish, why does he really feel entitled to remark about my driver? How does that come? Yapping little terrier. At all times one thing to say.”
Pole man Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff, speak in Parc Ferme
Photograph by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Pictures
Russell believed Verstappen acts as he does as a result of he has by no means been challenged off of the monitor.
“I believe he has been enabled as a result of no one has stood as much as him,” defined the Briton. “Lewis stood as much as him in 2021, and Lewis misplaced that championship unfairly.
“Might you think about the roles being reversed and Max shedding that championship within the method of which Lewis misplaced that championship? [Michael] Masi can be fearing for his life.
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“Among the current incidents he has been punished and [also] punished himself, like Mexico with the reckless overtakes, and Budapest with the reckless overtake.
“It’s simply previously that he has such a dominant automobile that he has not been on this place.
“I believe the FIA are fairly on it now and I don’t assume a lot wants to alter from their viewpoint as a result of he’s going to punish himself in some way.”
Photographs from Abu Dhabi GP Thursday
On this article
Jonathan Noble
Method 1
Max Verstappen
George Russell
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