Toto Wolff's Max Verstappen comments sparks controversy as Italian taxi drivers furious with the Mercedes boss

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was trolled by Italian taxi drivers after he likened Max Verstappen's aggressive driving in the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix to 'road rage in Rome or Naples.' The taxi drivers urged Wolff to focus on his team and stop defaming their community.

Verstappen received backlash after his on-track tussle with Mercedes driver George Russell at Barcelona, which resulted in a collision. After the safety car restart, the Brit went to overtake the Dutch driver, but the latter went wide and rejoined in the lead.

Fearing a penalty, Red Bull asked Verstappen to give the position back, but while doing so at Turn 5 of lap 64, the Dutchman moved abruptly and hit Russell’s car again.

That resulted in a 10-second time penalty and three penalty points for Verstappen. However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff avoided criticizing the four-time world champion despite many believing that his action of crashing into George was deliberate.

Speaking to The Guardian, Wolff likened Max Verstappen's tactics to the road rage of taxi drivers in Italy.

"This is road rage, like the taxi drivers in Rome or Naples. There’s a lot of aggression in the centre of Rome and Naples, without rules," Wolff said, via Planet F1.

However, the taxi drivers back in Italy didn't appreciate Wolff's dig and instead trolled him. Loreno Bittarelli, the President of Rome’s largest taxi cooperative, told Corriere della Sera:

“Maybe it would be better if Wolff focused on [the performance] of his own team."

Nicola Di Giacobbe, union representative of Filt-Cgil, added:

“We drive like a Mercedes since it only goes 30 miles an hour, just like us.”

Recently, rumors suggested that Toto Wolff was still trying to land Verstappen for the 2026 season while being aware of the slim chances of it happening anytime soon.

---

Toto Wolff reflects on Max Verstappen's mentality after the crash with George Russell

Max Verstappen with Toto Wolff at F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi - Qualifying - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen faced heavy backlash after his collision with George Russell, with many judging his actions as a 'deliberate' attempt to crash. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, meanwhile, believed that having the world against him perhaps fueled Verstappen to unleash his full potential.

However, something people needed to recognize was their mistake and understand why the world was against them, said Wolff.

"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 recognize 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 in 2021 that happened, but I don't know where it comes from," Wolff told Sky Sports.

After the 10-second time penalty imposed by the FIA, Max Verstappen dropped from P5 to P10 at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, while George Russell retained P4.