US EditionToto Wolff Sparks Fresh Row After Max Verstappen Comments Following Spanish GP - The Mirror
- Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff compared Max Verstappen’s bold maneuver against George Russell during the 2025 Barcelona Grand Prix to the daring driving style of taxi drivers navigating traffic in Rome or Naples.
- Wolff's remarks followed Verstappen's incident, which Lando Norris compared to Mario Kart, but some interpreted the comment as tongue-in-cheek and taxi drivers criticized it as a false stereotype.
- Loreno Bittarelli, president of Rome's taxi association, told Corriere della Sera that taxi drivers are more skilled than Formula 1 drivers and survive complex traffic involving construction and scooters.
- Bittarelli claimed that taxi drivers in Rome navigate the city's traffic far more skillfully than Formula 1 racers, suggesting that F1 drivers would struggle to handle even an hour in Rome's chaotic streets, and he cautioned Wolff against perpetuating inaccurate stereotypes.
- The comments sparked sharp criticism from Roman taxi drivers and transport unions, highlighting tensions between motorsport figures and local driving cultures amid heavy urban traffic.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Roman taxi drivers are angry that Max Verstappen is supposedly driving as ruthlessly as she is. Mercedes team manager Toto Wolff draws this comparison and triggers strong reactions in Italy.
Toto Wolff sparks fresh row after Max Verstappen comments following Spanish GP - The Mirror
In the unexpected Formula 1 beef of the season, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff finds himself the enemy of taxi drivers in major Italian cities after his comments about Max Verstappen after the Spanish Grand Prix
Max Verstappen rides like "a raging taxi driver in Rome", Mercedes sports chief Toto Wolff judged the Dutchman's champion against his protégé George Russell. Now the "coons of road traffic" are fighting back.
Toto Wolff had joked about the maneuvers of the Dutch driver. The taxi drivers of the Capital: «We are better than the Formula 1 drivers, we are cautious»
Toto Wolff on Max Verstappen: Mercedes team principal says 'great sportspeople sometimes think world is against them'
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was asked about Max Verstappens temperament after the Red Bull driver clashed with George Russell; Wolff was speaking before Verstappen admitted he was to blame for the second contact, which Nico Rosberg says he should have been black flagged for
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Right
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
Ownership
To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage
