Toto Wolff Joins Forces With Max Verstappen to Expose FIA’s Hypocrisy

Two out of four cars after the US GP last weekend were illegal. That’s 50%. Half the cars that the FIA checked for plank wear following the US GP didn’t comply with the regulations. Considering there are 20 cars on the Formula 1 grid, don’t you think there would’ve been a high probability that more than just Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s cars would’ve been illegal? F1 isn’t about probabilities. It’s about accuracy. So shouldn’t the FIA have been more thorough with its checks and not have limited itself to just four cars? At least that’s what Max Verstappen thinks.

The three-time champion’s Red Bull was one of the four cars that the FIA tested. While he and Lando Norris came out of the investigation unscathed, Hamilton and Leclerc didn’t have the same fate. Although Hamilton wasn’t too pleased with the verdict, his boss begged to differ.

Toto Wolff is on Team Max Verstappen at the Mexican GP

When the FIA decided to limit its scrutineering to just those four cars, teams and drivers didn’t take too well to it. They felt it was plain hypocrisy. On one hand, the FIA is the governing body of the sport meant to make it as fair as possible. On the other hand, it didn’t take the necessary steps to ensure everything was fair in the US GP. What was its reasoning? The limited time it has after a race to return the cars to the respective teams. 

This weekend was the first time the media got to ask teams and drivers about their thoughts on the subject. For Hamilton, his disqualification was a big negative. He said, “Every time the sport takes a couple steps forward, we’ve got decisions that come in place that then knock us back a couple.” He wasn’t too pleased with what happened after the race. Now, considering Toto Wolff isn’t with him on his stance, it’s given him another thing to not be pleased about. Especially considering Wolff sided with Verstappen.

On Thursday, Verstappen said,  “They only tested a few cars, and 50% of them got disqualified. There were far more drivers’ cars that were illegal.” He explained how the Sprint weekend—with just one practice session—caught Mercedes and Ferrari out. Had it not been for the format, the teams wouldn’t have set up their cars so low. Wolff echoed Verstappen’s statement about more cars being illegal. “That’s the feedback we got from the other teams. Obviously, they’re checking with each other, the drivers. Many, many teams were probably under the 9mm,” said Wolff.

The Mercedes Team Principal and the newly-crowned three-time champion weren’t the only ones to address the FIA’s hypocrisy. Verstappen’s best friend joined the party, too.

Read More: What Is Post Race Plank Checks in F1? Know the Reason Why Lewis Hamilton & Charles Leclerc Got Disqualified From the US GP

Lando Norris sided with Max Verstappen as well

In Mercedes’ US GP’s post-race debrief, Technical Director James Allison explained how Hamilton’s disqualification was on the team. The Sprint weekend caught them out, especially with Parc Ferme after just one practice session. The W14’s 10mm plank was practically untouched after FP1, which is why Mercedes didn’t put in place a higher set-up. If Hamilton’s car didn’t comply with the regulations, what’s to say that George Russell’s car didn’t either? That’s precisely the point Lando Norris brought up. 

In an interview with Sky Sports on Thursday, Norris said, “I would’ve loved it if they checked more cars. They should’ve checked [the entire grid]. They checked mine first so we were all good. It’s more the teams, I guess. If one team’s one car… It’s unlikely that the two cars are that different. If one car is illegal then there’s a high chance that the other car is.”

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Do you agree with Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Toto Wolff that other drivers would’ve breached the 9mm thickness of the plank as well?