“The risk of losing points is just too big” – Mercedes boss Toto Wolff on why the Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen battle has not picked up steam yet.
Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, has a theory for why his driver Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have not clashed on the track yet. He believes the risk of losing points is too great, as they both look to win the championship this season.
“I think they are not crossing the line on the track yet because the risk of losing points is just too big. But it’s going to go head-to-head, and certainly, the rivalry may increase or not.
“I see Lewis completely relaxed about the situation. He enjoys every bit of working with the team and getting us up to speed because we weren’t there. It’s just a fun place.”
Wolff credits Portimao win to Hamilton
The team has credited the Portuguese Grand Prix win to Hamilton, as he fought off the race leads taken by the Red Bull. The race was pretty uneventful, and Hamilton did well to win the race quite easily in the end. He now leads Verstappen by eight points, with the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona next.
“I think we had a good car, first time we were really able to compete for pole. Maybe we were a tenth off. A good race car, but again, also very close to the Red Bulls, and [Hamilton] just drove an immaculate race.
“It makes no sense to talk about these exceptional Lewis performances because they have been quite regular. It’s his standard now, and I think he sets that standard to himself.”
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