Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff extends his congratulations to Max Verstappen on his fourth world championship title. The Austrian is astounded by the dominance with which the Dutchman secured his fourth world title, especially in the second half of the season when the RB20 was no longer the strongest car on the grid. Naturally, the Mercedes team boss also takes a moment to acknowledge the outstanding performances of his own drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, in Las Vegas.
Both Mercedes and Red Bull have reason to celebrate in Las Vegas. While the German racing team is celebrating their first 1-2 finish since the São Paulo Grand Prix in 2022, Red Bull is toasting to Max Verstappen’s fourth world championship title. Mercedes team principal Wolff also congratulates Verstappen.
“He dominated in the first half of the year, and that was both the dominance of the driver and the dominance of the car,” Wolff tells the media about the newly crowned four-time world champion. “And then in the second half, it was the dominance of the driver.” The Austrian hopes to be able to “engage in the battle with Verstappen again next year.” However, Mercedes will have to face the challenge without Lewis Hamilton, as the Brit is moving to Ferrari.
Praise for Mercedes Drivers
This marks the fifty-fifth time that Mercedes has occupied the top two spots on the podium since the start of the hybrid era in 2014. However, the team had to wait two years for this achievement. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a 1-2 finish, so this is a fantastic result for the team,” Wolff acknowledges to Sky Sports. “The cooler conditions on a low-grip track like this one (Las Vegas Street Circuit) clearly suited us well. Nonetheless, everyone did an outstanding job this weekend.”
George Russell, in particular, played a starring role in the street race, and the Brit managed to drive “completely in control of the Grand Prix” to victory. “Lewis also drove fantastically, moving from P10 to P2,” Wolff praises his other driver. “He showed how fast he was and achieved a great result for the team.”
