Toto Wolff aims brutal dig at Max Verstappen after Chinese Grand Prix retirement
Toto Wolff has responded to Max Verstappen's criticism of the new F1 regulations following Mercedes dominant victory at the Chinese Grand Prix.
It was another Mercedes one-two in Shanghai, as Kimi Antonelli became the second youngest grand prix winner in history, with George Russell following closely behind.
Lewis Hamilton completed the podium for Ferrari, after the Brit battled it out with teammate Charles Leclerc to secure his first top three finish for the Scuderia.
It was a much different story for Verstappen, who was forced to retire his Red Bull from the race on lap 46 due to gearbox issues while running significantly behind the front runners in seventh place.
Advert
The Dutchman has made no secret about his disdain for the 2026 regulations, and continued to slam the situation in his post-race interview in Shanghai.
“It’s terrible. If someone likes this, then you really don’t know what racing is like," he told the media.
Wolff responds to Verstappen's criticism of 2026 regulations
Verstappen was heavily linked to Mercedes last season and Wolff believes the four-time world champion might think differently if he was fighting at the front.
"Max is really, I think, in a horror show," Wolff said after his retirement.
"When you look at the onboard that he has in qualifying yesterday, this is just horrendous to drive, you can see that.
"But it's not the same with many other teams, I think from an entertainment perspective, I believe that what we've seen today between Ferrari and Mercedes was good racing.
"Many overtakes," he added.
The Mercedes boss highlighted the issues of the previous regulations, with races often being called out for a lack of overtaking action.
"We were all part of Formula 1 where there was no overtake, literally, sometimes we're too nostalgic about the good old years, but I think the product is good in itself.
"We saw quite some racing in the midfield also, and that is, I think, the positive."
However, Wolff did agree there could be issues in qualifying, with Leclerc also sharing concerns in Shanghai that pushing to the limit is no longer rewarded.
"Now, from a driver's standpoint, when it comes to the balls-out qualifying lap, that is different," he continued.
"Clearly, lifting costs in the qualifying, I'm sure for someone like Max, who is a full-attack guy, it's difficult to cope and digest, but it's more I would say, a car-specific issue that magnifies the problem that it is.
"Because if you sit in front of a TV or in front of a screen, even Max would say that was interesting racing in the front."
Topics: Formula 1, Max Verstappen, Mercedes
Tom Jenkins