17 April 2023 , 12:19
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Toto Wolff was spot on with a prediction he made about Max Verstappen a year ago – though he won't be too pleased that he was correct.
Verstappen's first Formula 1 success came in 2021, when he edged out Lewis Hamilton on the final lap in Abu Dhabi amid one of the sport's biggest ever title race controversies. The way the Brit lost that duel was painful for Mercedes and was tough to swallow.
But Wolff was clear that he and his team blamed ousted race director Michael Masi for the way Hamilton was denied the title. Verstappen benefitted from the Australian's botched handling of a late safety car period, but did nothing wrong himself.
Speaking last April, the Mercedes chief had only positive things to say about the Dutchman. He showed little doubt that Verstappen would go on to become champion again – a prediction which came true at the first opportunity when he successfully defended his title in record fashion last year.
"This was not Max’s last title," Wolff had said, referring to that 2021 victory for the Red Bull racer. "He is a brilliant driver. It's completely normal that the battle was so intense last year. It's part of racing.
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"If the situation had been reversed, we would have claimed the trophy and been happy about it. Max performed strongly all last year and he missed out on a lot of points. He deserved to be world champion."
Toto Wolff had predicted that Verstappen would win multiple F1 titles (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)Responding to rumours at the time of a rift between himself and Verstappen, Wolff added: "It's true that there were some controversial moments last year. Everyone has their own view on the matter, their own perception of it. Often, the truth lies in the middle.
"But if you ask me personally, I think Max is very mature and intelligent, quite apart from his qualities as a driver at his age. I have a lot of respect for him and for his father, Jos. That will never change, regardless of the discussions that have been going on."
Last month, after the Bahrain Grand Prix, Wolff admitted the pain he felt seeing how far ahead Red Bull are again over Mercedes this season. He said: "The Red Bull is on a different planet. That is what hurts, because they are so far ahead. It reminds me of our best years, when we [were a second ahead] of everybody else."