"I lost all respect for Toto": Fans furious as Mercedes boss deflects Max Verstappen-Lando Norris clash comparisons with 2021 title battle

F1 fans were left furious with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff after he claimed the Max Verstappen-Lando Norris clash could not be compared to the Dutch driver's 2021 title fight antics against Lewis Hamilton. The Red Bull driver was heavily criticized for his defense against Norris at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.

The three-time world champion was challenged by the young British driver in the final phases of the race. He defended his lead in a slightly questionable manner, resembling his titanic battle with Hamilton in the 2021 season.

While McLaren team boss Andrea Stella claimed Max Verstappen's antics were reminiscent of his battles from his first championship season, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff did not share the same view and said (via Motorsportweek):

“I don’t think you can take this conclusion. It’s been so long and from our side. We are in a different place today, and I think he is. It takes two to tango. I haven’t seen Lando and Max’s race to be honest. I haven’t seen how all of that came about.

“I first need to watch it before I have an opinion but I wouldn’t see that as a big consequence of 2021 not having been managed well to what happened in 2024. I don’t think they have a correlation.”

F1 fans took to social media to give their reactions to Wolff's comments, with one fan claiming he had lost all respect for the Austrian, writing:

"I lost all respect for Toto, he is a super star team principle because of Lewis otherwise he would have been in the back ground like all the other team principles. Now we know why he decided to drop the lawsuit in 2021."

Another fan claimed:

"He has lost the plot. I'm glad more people will truly see him now."

Another fan wrote:

"Maybe Toto wasn’t watching in 2021."

"He is just putting himself in a good position to negotiate that’s the only thing I can pull out from this declaration lol," one fan mulled.

Mercedes team boss reflects on George Russell's win in Austria

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff stated that George Russell's win in Austria on Sunday was a great reward for all the team members working in the factory and pushing to improve the W15 this season.

As per F1.com, the Austrian said:

"It is a great feeling to get back on to the top step of the podium. It is a fantastic reward for the hard work and efforts of everyone at Brackley and Brixworth. We have taken good steps forward in recent races, and we are excited about what is still to come."

Mercedes added 47 points from the Austrian Grand Prix weekend and cemented their P4 position in the Constructor's Championship with 196 points from 11 races and three sprints so far.