Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has admitted to being surprised that Red Bull driver Max Verstappen wasn't penalised for his contentious defence against Lewis Hamilton that saw both drivers go off the track. Verstappen and Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel into Turn 4 on Lap 48 of 71, with Verstappen defending his lead by pushing Hamilton wide as both went across the escape area. While Verstappen held on for another 11 laps, Hamilton eventually prevailed to get past and take the win to close down Max Verstappen in the Drivers' Championship. Asked after the race about whether the win was one of the most satisfying of his career as team boss, Wolff said overcoming the adversity of being disqualified from qualifying had made it particularly enjoyable for him. "We started the weekend on the back foot with our self-inflicted engine penalty," Wolff told Sky Sports. " Then we got disqualified yesterday, which was harsh, and then today, in the race, things went against us too."
"Max was right on the limit"
Commenting on the wheel-to-wheel battling between Hamilton and Verstappen, Wolff praised both but felt the Dutch driver had pushed the limits too far. "Brilliant racing, hard defending, just to the limit," he commented. "Lewis was clever, super clever, avoiding the contact. So it was great to see these two super drivers. But not giving it five seconds [penalty] or so? Come on! "I'd like to see the onboard of Max, actually. It's pretty spectacular how he does it, but I think Lewis cruising around him to avoid the contact was even better."
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