Wolff Praises Verstappen's Monza Dominance: "Made Everyone Else Look Stupid"

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, offered a surprising compliment to Max Verstappen after his dominant win at the Italian Grand Prix, acknowledging the Red Bull driver's unparalleled performance that overshadowed Mercedes' own struggles.

Why it matters:

Wolff's candid remarks highlight the sheer gap between Red Bull and the rest of the field, even from a rival team principal. His indirect praise underscores Verstappen's current form, which makes other top drivers appear less competitive.

The big picture:

• The Monza weekend was challenging for Mercedes, with George Russell finishing fifth and Kimi Antonelli ninth (after a penalty).
• The focus wasn't on Mercedes or McLaren's internal team orders, but on Verstappen's overwhelming victory.
• Verstappen secured pole position on Saturday and then dominated the race, finishing nearly twenty seconds ahead of Lando Norris.

Wolff's reaction:

In a post-race interview with Sky Sports, Wolff praised Verstappen without naming him directly, stating: "It was a tough day today, you can clearly see that there is only one guy that makes everybody else look a bit bad, a bit stupid." He further noted to GPblog, "The turn around that they (Red Bull) have made wasn't written off, and here we go; Max disappears in the distance."