SUZUKA, JAPAN – 07 AVRIL: The race winner Max Verstappen from the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrate on the podium during the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Japan at the Suzuka International Circuit on April 7, 2024 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
The Mercedes team boss, Toto Wolff, gave his honest assessment of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s dominance in the Suzuka race. Verstappen finished nearly 13 seconds ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez and an impressive 20 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. Wolff acknowledged Verstappen’s exceptional driving skills and his car’s impressive performance. He admitted that this season, Mercedes is resigned to being the best of the other teams, hoping to catch up to McLaren and Ferrari and fight for second place. Last season, Mercedes narrowly beat Ferrari to secure second place in the F1 Constructors’ Championship with 409 points, while Red Bull amassed an impressive 806 points.
Mercedes, home to seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, had a challenging start to the year. Currently, they sit in fourth place in the constructors’ standings, behind Ferrari and McLaren. Hamilton’s ninth place in Suzuka, along with his teammate George Russell’s seventh place, was the result of a failed tire strategy. Despite this setback, Wolff believes the team has made progress in understanding the car. Hamilton himself expressed that the car felt the best in years during practice. However, Wolff finds little satisfaction in these improvements, as he knows the title race is effectively over. He emphasizes that the ultimate goal in racing is to secure first place, not settle for second, third, or fourth place.
Lorsqu’on lui a demandé son avis sur les commentaires de Wolff, le patron de l’équipe Red Bull, Christian Horner, a loué la performance confiante de Verstappen, mais a rejeté l’idée que les autres équipes devraient abandonner si tôt dans la saison. Horner pense qu’il est prématuré de rejeter toute l’année, car il reste encore 20 courses. Il a également laissé entendre qu’il avait appris à ne pas trop prêter attention aux commentaires de Wolff au fil des ans.
