Among fans, Redditors, and pundits, a lot of talk is going on about how Max Verstappen‘s dominance might not be the best thing for the sport. The Dutchman, to his credit, has been making it look extremely easy. After his win in Brazil, he has a whopping 17 total wins in this season alone. Naturally, the fans felt like the winner of any given GP had become extremely predictable, and this has led to several casual fans not being interested in watching the race.
However, while promoting an F1 documentary titled “The Business of Formula 1,” an unlikely savior came arguing against this narrative. Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has made it extremely clear with a three-word message.
Toto Wolff, the unlikely savior
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During the interview that aired on CNBC, ‘Squawk on the Street’ host Sara Eisen had some very interesting questions to ask. In the beginning, she started off with F1’s growing investments in the United States of America before eventually segued into the hot topic of the day; Max’s dominance, and the perceived negative influence on Formula 1.
She talked about the dominant season that Red Bull‘s three-time champion is having and asked, “How problematic is it for the sport?”
Toto Wolff immediately responded, highlighting how the onus is on Mercedes and the other teams to elevate their game and rise to the level of Red Bull, and the blame shouldn’t be on Verstappen. He states, “It’s about us striking back. You cannot complain. If you’re one of the teams that’s second on the world championship. We’ve got to come up with a better car and better performances in order to beat them.”
He then concurred that a close fight between two or more drivers would ultimately be better for the sport, especially for the spectators. The Austrian then proceeded to explain their hopes for the 2024 season, revealing that the German team has a completely new concept in store.
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Mercedes’ plans for 2024
After Wolff’s response about Mercedes having to do better, Sara asked how confident the Austrian was about the next season. Providing significant insights into how Mercedes functions, Toto Wolff explained, “Never in my life I have been confident. I’m more of a glass-half-empty guy. However, for next year, we’ve completely changed the concept behind the car. I think we’re well on track for the next year.”
Toto then acknowledged that the last two years have not been optimal. That being said, Wolff still provided hope for the Mercedes fans. He concluded by saying, “If we have done a good enough job, we’ll see by then (next season).”
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