Toto Wolff Slams Verstappen Over Russell Incident in F1 Clash

Max Verstappen and George Russell‘s Qatar qualifying incident just got more heated, with team bosses now trading verbal jabs in Abu Dhabi.

It all started when Red Bull’s Christian Horner called Russell “hysterical” during the stewards’ briefing after their qualifying clash in Qatar.

That didn’t sit well with Mercedes.

Russell took his chance in Abu Dhabi to “set the record straight” with media about Verstappen’s comments. But what really turned heads was Mercedes boss Toto Wolff jumping into Russell’s paddock interview – something you rarely see in F1.

Wolff didn’t hold back about Horner’s handling of the situation.

“As a team principal, you need to help your drivers see the bigger picture,” Wolff said. “Not everything is black and white in racing.”

He suggested Horner could’ve handled things better by looking at both sides instead of adding fuel to the fire.

“You need to understand that sometimes it’s 51-49, sometimes it’s 70-30. There’s always another perspective,” Wolff explained. “If you can’t do that as a team boss, you’re not doing your job.”

Then Wolff really let loose.

“It’s just weak. Why does he feel he can comment about my driver? He’s like a yapping little terrier – always has something to say,” Wolff fired back.

The Mercedes boss saved his strongest words for Horner’s “hysterical” comment about Russell.

“Let’s be clear – what’s happening between George and Max is between drivers. But when another team principal calls my driver hysterical, that crosses a line,” Wolff said. “His strong suit clearly isn’t psychological analysis. How dare he comment on my driver’s state of mind!”

The tension between F1’s top teams shows no signs of cooling as they head into the season’s final races.