Toto Wolff’s cheeky Abu Dhabi jibe: ‘Satisfied to see the race director not succumbing to media pressure’
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Toto Wolff
After Daniel Ricciardo pulled to the side of the track on lap 47, the safety car came out. However, there were a number of complications. It came out in front of the wrong car: George Russell, instead of the leader, Max Verstappen. Apart from that, there was also a crane on the side of the track.
Many felt that this situation, where the track couldn’t be cleared and the race restarted in time warranted a red flag. Even the drivers expected the safety car to end earlier than that, to at least have on lap of racing. But that would be a violation of the regulations, as it was in Abu Dhabi, and would have fueled controversy.
Lewis Hamilton, who was on the ‘losing’ side in Abu Dhabi, had made his views clear on the matter: “It always brings memories back, that is the rule that it should be, right. So only one time, in the history of the sport, that they haven’t done the rule.” Mercedes’ team principal, Toto Wolff also agrees with his driver.
Toto Wolff ‘satisfied’ with race ending behind safety car
It is never good to see a race finishing behind the safety car. However, those are the regulations, and they must be followed. According to Andreas Seidl, teams had failed to agree on a solution for the said problem, and every team had voted for the regulations to stay as they are. Toto Wolff agrees with his fellow team principal, and as per RacingNews365.com, he was fine with the ending.
Wolff is ‘satisfied’ that the regulations were followed, and said: “I’m really satisfied to see that there isn’t a race director and colleagues that apply the regulations against the pressure of the media, the fans and everybody to just be in breach of the regulations.”
Last year, in the finale of the 2021 season, the regulations were not followed, and only the cars between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were let through, so that there could be a lap of ‘motor racing’. On this, Wolff felt: “So at least Abu Dhabi, in that sense, gave the FIA more robust confidence to apply the [Safety Car] regulations.”
The safety car ending also certainly worked out for Mercedes: If the race had been restarted, then in all likelihood, Carlos Sainz would have overtaken George Russell for the podium places. However, Wolff’s ‘rival’ team principals, Mattia Binotto and Christian Horner felt that the race could have been restarted.
Also Read: “There is no cost cap on the engines,” Toto Wolff on the importance of F1 Grid Penalties
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)