Formula 1 | Wolff knows he can be a pilot’s ‘vomit bag’ on the radio
Toto Wolff has no problem with the comments made by Lewis Hamilton on the radio, in the last part of the Grand Prix of the Netherlands. The director of Mercedes F1 knows that he must sometimes accept, as well as the engineers of his team, to serve as an outlet for drivers frustrated by errors or bad decisions.
« You are emotional, I am too during the races » Wolff said. « And when you’re a driver in the car, it just comes out of you. You just can’t help it. »
« We’re the garbage can, the vomit bag on the plane, and we take it all because we know it’s needed. That’s how it’s always been in a relationship between a frustrated pilot and the pit wall. »
The Austrian notes that the one-stop strategy planned for the morning of the race was working, but caused the difficult end of the race for the seven-time world champion: « We sat together, and we discussed the strategy. In the morning, we decided to take a risk. »
« It really backfired. Considering all the circumstances, I think having Max behind him was totally unpleasant. But there are more positive things to take. And that’s what we also discussed, the fact that the car is faster. »
Wolff understands that the decision for one pilot can frustrate the other, and reminds us that this is the principle of a fight between team members: « It’s enormously difficult to really make the right choice, especially if you have two drivers competing against each other. »
« We’ve been through this for ten years, one is upset and the other is happy. And those are the swings that we have to, in a way, balance. You just have to admit that the frustration on one side is always great. »
