Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver and Mercedes’ biggest title rival, races differently when it comes to Lewis Hamilton. However, he also thinks that the hard racing between Verstappen and George Russell in Baku was typical of the “same generation drivers”. The two young stars collided on the opening lap of the Baku sprint, with Russell attempting to pass Verstappen at Turn 2, resulting in contact. The Briton succeeded at the next corner, which left Verstappen infuriated as he believed Russell ran him too close to the wall.
When asked about Verstappen’s racing behavior toward Mercedes drivers, Wolff stated that Hamilton and Verstappen race differently. Still, he said that the combative driving style between Verstappen and Russell is typical of how they have raced since their junior days and long before their Formula 1 careers.
Wolff believes that Verstappen and Russell, who are considered the future of Formula 1, are equally fierce drivers who have been competing against each other since they were young. “They had that situation, probably the first time, when they were 10. So, it’s racing. I don’t know if it’s 70/30, 60/40 or 50/50, but it’s going to be in that ballpark,” Wolff added.
