The dramatic 2021 F1 season, filled with excitement and controversy, has finally calmed down. The rivalry between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton reached a boiling point at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone when they collided on the first lap.
After the crash, Verstappen was taken to the hospital due to a massive impact of 51G, while Mercedes celebrated Hamilton’s victory. Toto Wolff recently shared on The High-Performance Podcast that he might have acted differently back then.
Wolff Reflects on Silverstone Incident
Adrian Newey had previously expressed regret over his harsh judgment of Hamilton after the crash. Wolff, upon revisiting the footage, agreed with Newey’s reflective stance. He said, “Adrian reflects very well. I think his intellect is something that shines. You always have to be able to recalibrate yourself. I read something that I really liked a while ago. Play hard, forgive quickly, and apologize when you’re wrong. That’s the way I try to live.”
Wolff continued by explaining how intense the competition was between the two drivers throughout the season, not just during that race. He acknowledged that neither driver backed down at that crucial corner, leading to the incident. Fortunately, Verstappen wasn’t injured. Wolff admitted he could have reacted better after learning from a Red Bull engineer that Max was okay. Winning that race was crucial for their championship hopes despite feeling some of the driving wasn’t clean.
Regrets Over Communication
Reflecting further, Wolff mentioned he should have reached out to Jos Verstappen after the crash to check on Max’s condition directly. “In retrospect, I should have just picked up the phone and called Jos and said, is he fine? Now Jos clearly would have told me what he was thinking about in that situation but that’s fine.” Fans might wonder if this could have eased tensions between teams during such heated times.
The year had many moments where expectations weren’t met among competitors, but Wolff feels they’ve moved past those issues now.
What do you think about how things unfolded?
