SUZUKA, JAPAN – APRIL 07: 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 Suzuka International Circuit on April 07, 2024 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Mercedes team principal 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 skills behind the wheel 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 edged out 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 finish 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 it has 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.
When asked about Wolff’s comments, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner praised Verstappen’s confident performance, but dismissed the idea that other teams should give up so early in the season. Horner believes it is premature to write off the whole year, as there are still 20 races left. He also hinted that he has learned not to pay too much attention to Wolff’s comments over the years.
