Toto Wolff, a key figure in the world of motorsports, has expressed his opinion on Max Verstappen’s recent criticisms of the new Formula 1 regulations. Wolff suggests that the Red Bull driver’s dissatisfaction is more related to the difficulties he has faced on the track than to inherent flaws in the new generation of single-seaters.
After his retirement at the Chinese Grand Prix, Verstappen intensified his comments, calling the new rules a “joke” and stating that the fans who enjoy them “don’t understand racing”.
Since the new power unit regulations were announced in 2023, Verstappen has been critical, and his stance has only strengthened with the start of the season.
Meanwhile, Mercedes has had a promising start, achieving a one-two finish in the first two Grand Prix and winning Saturday’s sprint race in Shanghai.
Wolff believes Verstappen’s discontent is largely due to the problems Red Bull has had in the first two races, which has relegated the four-time champion to eighth place in the standings.
Wolff also noted that the spectacle offered between Ferrari and Mercedes was exciting, with numerous overtakes. He acknowledged that, from a driver’s perspective, the new regulations can be difficult to assimilate, especially for someone like Verstappen, known for his aggressive driving style. Verstappen’s criticism mainly focuses on the greater emphasis on electric energy under the new rules, which favors energy management over driving at the limit. The new boost and overtaking modes offer more overtaking opportunities in races, but at the cost of depleting the battery, which can leave drivers unable to defend their positions. Wolff admits that the energy management level in qualifying is not to his liking, but he believes that fans are enjoying the new racing style. “Yes, it would be good to have a thorough classification,” he added. “But when you look at the fans and the emotion that is there, live, the joy when there are overtakes, and also on social media, the younger fans, the vast majority, in all demographic groups, they like the sport at the moment.” Wolff concluded by stating that, although improvements can always be made, all indicators suggest that people like the new Formula 1 format.“Max is really, I think, in a horror show,” Wolff commented. “When you see the onboard camera he has in yesterday’s qualifying, it’s horrible to drive. You can see that.”
Toto Wolff
