Toto Wolff's 'diplomatic' reaction to Max Verstappen's controversial incident with George Russell catches F1 pundits' attention

Former F1 driver and pundit Ralf Schumacher claimed that he was impressed by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff's 'diplomatic' response to Max Verstappen's controversial incident with George Russell. The Dutch driver was in the headlines at the end of the 2025 Spanish GP last weekend for his behavior in the final few laps of the race when he rammed into the side of the Brit's W16.

The four-time F1 world champion was frustrated by Red Bull's decision to give Russell P4 despite the latter not completing the overtake on Verstappen legitimately. To express his anger with the call, the 27-year-old rammed his car into the side of Russell's car and was given a 10-second penalty for his action.

While many had expected Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to defend his driver more staunchly, the Austrian was puzzled by Max Verstappen's antics and gave a slightly subdued response. On his recent appearance on the podcast Backstage Boxengasse of Sky Sports Germany, Ralf Schumacher noticed the same and said:

“What I found most beautiful was Toto Wolff's response. So diplomatic. You almost got the idea that he and Max were already dining together and talking about next year. Normally, you expect a team principal to offer more protection for his driver, but he said more or less: let's take a calm look at what Max actually did there.

"And ultimately, nothing serious happened. I found that quite remarkable. It seems that maybe there's still a door somewhere," Schumacher said.

The Red Bull driver finished the race in P5 but was demoted to P10 after the post-race penalty and was also given three penalty points on his FIA Superlicense.

Mercedes team boss comments on Max Verstappen's antics in Barcelona

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated that he was not sure about the origin of Max Verstappen's anger in the race and provided insight into the mentality of great sportsmen, similar to Verstappen.

Speaking with Sky Sports, Wolff reflected on his view and said:

"There's a pattern that I've recognized with the great ones, whether it's in motor racing or in other sports. You just need to have the world against you, and then you perform at the highest possible level.

"That's why, sometimes, these greats don't recognise that, actually, the world is not against you, it's just you who has made a mistake, or you've screwed up. We haven't seen any of these moments with Max for many years now. I know 2021, that happened, but I don't know where it comes from."

Max Verstappen has been heavily linked with a move to Mercedes ever since the start of the 2024 season, with Wolff keen to get the signature of the former despite his deal with Red Bull expiring at the end of the 2028 season.