Wolff takes swipe at ‘one-dimensional’ team principals

Toto Wolff has launched a robust criticism of other team principals in the F1 paddock over the aftermath of the Lando Norris-Max Verstappen clash at the Austrian Grand Prix.

The 52-year-old called out a lack of objectivity from his peers, claiming that some of the opinions shared were "one-dimensional". 

The Mercedes team boss made a concerted effort to avoid getting drawn into the post-race melée at the Red Bull Ring and moved to distance himself from any comparisons between Verstappen's actions in Austria and his conduct throughout the contentious title fight with Lewis Hamilton in 2021.

Whilst the Austrian did not specify which team principal or principals he was referring to specifically, Andrea Stella and Christian Horner offered polarised accounts of the battle between their two drivers.

However, by adding to prior comments made by McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, it strongly suggests that the Red Bull team boss was the object of his remarks.

"I tend to agree with Zak [Brown]," Wolff told media including RacingNews365 when asked for his take on the clash between Norris and Verstappen.

"It's always amusing to see the one-dimensional comments of team principals, where you think, let's be a little bit objective at least."

Wolff in support of Brown's stance

Wolff stopped short of the magnitude of Brown's comments, which sought to attack Red Bull on multiple fronts for a plethora of indiscretions, but the dig appears aimed at Horner.

The Austrian was also in support of the McLaren Racing CEO's stance on driving standards and wheel-to-wheel racing, after Brown called for more action from the stewards to reign in unacceptable manoeuvres. 

"The drivers among themselves will know best," the Mercedes team principal said. "Lando [Norris] and Max [Verstappen], they get on with each other very well. 

"They will have discussed it. They're not going to trash each other in the media, but talk it through, and all the good guys will have a judgment on that, and we'll see what it means. I think that's number one. 

"And number two is there's a set of regulations. And those regulations give the boundaries to the drivers, what's on, what's not. It's the same with track limits. You're either penalised or not. And in the same way, the way you race. 

"I think the regulations are maybe a little bit vague, or the interpretations are different from time to time.

"It's clear that the really good ones are going to push this as much as they can. And then we could end up in similar situations. It's not only among these two. I mean, we've seen it between the Alpines, et cetera, et cetera."