Toto Wolff claims it’s Max Verstappen ‘who wins races’ not Red Bull

Toto Wolff insisted that Max Verstappen made all the difference for Red Bull as the Dutch driver has won seven races in 2024 so far.

Toto Wolff claims it’s Max Verstappen ‘who wins races’ not Red Bull

Toto Wolff and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen has won seven races in the 2024 F1 season so far. Despite facing stiff competition from the likes of Lando Norris, the Dutch driver has continued to lead the championship by a big margin. Now, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has reckoned that Red Bull might not win without the reigning world champion.

Wolff addressed Christian Horner‘s comments that Mercedes will not be able to sign Verstappen. However, the Austrian billionaire had not given up just yet. Toto Wolff asserted that the team was looking to end the 2024 season on a high note with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. The Mercedes team boss hoped that this could convince Max Verstappen to join the Silver Arrows in the future.

Horner said that he [Max Verstappen] will stay. Let’s see, we leave him with this idea. We need to allow Lewis and George to finish the season at a high level, and then we’ll see if the W15 will be a car that can convince Max.
Toto Wolff said, as reported by Formu1a.uno
YouTube video

Moreover, Toto Wolff claimed that it was Max Verstappen who was winning races and not Red Bull. The Austrian admitted that the RB20 was a solid car. However, Sergio Perez‘s results showed that without Verstappen, Milton Keynes would struggle to continue its success at the pinnacle of motorsport.

FS Video
I think it’s Max who wins the races and not Red Bull. The RB20 is solid, but Perez isn’t doing well. It’s Max who makes all the difference.
Toto Wolff stated

Toto Wolff claims Mercedes making ‘small steps’ with W15

Mercedes has struggled to stay at the front of the grid in F1’s ground-effect era. The Silver Arrows failed to develop its car on par with the likes of Red Bull and McLaren. However, recent races have shown glimpses of hope for Wolff’s team. With George Russell admitting that he should have won the Canadian GP.

Toto Wolff
Toto Wolff (via IMAGO)

Toto Wolff highlighted that the team’s correlation between the track and the wind tunnel was inaccurate for almost two years. However, ever since the Emilia Romagna GP, upgrades have made a difference in performance of the W15. Wolff claimed that these were small steps which did have an impact on the team’s prospects.

Our correlation between the wind tunnel and the track didn’t work for a good two years. Since Imola, all the small updates we brought have improved the balance and they made the W15 a better car. They are small steps, but they make the difference.
Toto Wolff explained

Certainly, Toto Wolff would be hoping to challenge Max Verstappen and Red Bull for victories in the coming races. The Silver Arrows seem to be keen to get the Dutchman in the coming seasons. However, it is clear that Mercedes could only sign Verstappen if it manages to consistently outperform Red Bull and the rest of the grid.

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