The Max Verstappen Obsession

Toto Wolff should stop chasing Max Verstappen - right now.
🏎️ Buckle up for a deep dive into the high-speed world of Formula 1 as we unravel the captivating saga of Toto Wolff's burgeoning obsession with Max Verstappen. In the wake of Lewis Hamilton's departure for Ferrari, Wolff's relentless pursuit of Verstappen's talent takes center stage, fueling speculation and drama in the F1 community. Join us as we explore the intricate dynamics between Mercedes and Red Bull, delving into the strategic maneuvers, technical challenges, and emotional rollercoaster that define this gripping rivalry. From the struggles of adapting to new car concepts to the relentless pursuit of success amidst evolving regulations, we uncover the inner workings of Mercedes' quest for dominance in the face of formidable competition. Experience the highs and lows, the triumphs and setbacks, as we navigate through the twists and turns of one of motorsport's most compelling narratives. Strap in and hit play to stay up-to-date with all the latest insights, drama, and intrigue from the adrenaline-fueled world of Formula 1. Don't miss out on a single lap - subscribe now for all the thrills and spills! 🚦🏁
#f1 #maxverstappen #totowolff #formula1 #f12024 #redbullracing #formulaone #formula12024 #mercedesf1 #mercedesamg #lewishamilton #hamilton #verstappen #georgerussell #russell #redbullf1 #redbull #f1news #f1updates #f1latest
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The Max Verstappen Obsession
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Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, "fair use" is allowed for things like criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is when a copyright law lets you use something in a way that would otherwise be against the law. In some scenes, race footage from the Formula 1 calendar is used whose rights belong to FOM. Other photos and news items are only used to help the original content.

[@LawVS]

My socials: linktr.ee/lawvs The seat nobody wants: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3eqZHxsr8ulrZY

[@InterestedAmerican]

Toto Wolff is merely being a thorn in Christian Horner's side... intentionally. Christian Horner turned things around and spoke about George Russell possibly leaving Mercedes.

[@Joey13_31_Racing]

Great stuff do you remember me?

[@spiyder]

@@InterestedAmericanrussell going to redbull 2025 confirmed

[@WRC-FAN]

Everytime Lawrence says "the Mercedes won't show improvement until the Canadian GP" an angel gets their wings.😂😂😂😂😂

[@Zoom15000]

It's going to be a massive for Mercedes when they start getting their upgrades to see whether they have a handle on their car or not.

[@jkbzz]

​@@Zoom15000they won't, why? It's not as simple as upgrades. They simply don't get grounds effect.

[@Jude74]

He was right.

[@CappuccinoTheCat]

Horner - "Change your *ucking car" Toto - I am 😭

[@ErickNagaya]

Do you even sleep man? I was watching one of your videos before going to sleep and I wake up to a new one

[@irishwristwatch2487]

He does have a newborn, so he may very well not be sleeping the poor sod!

[@bwauditor]

​@@irishwristwatch2487his hair tells me your right

[@07Corcaigh]

" Max, i know it's a shitbox, but please come and drive it"

[@Redlingstein]

😂😂😂😂

[@nos9510]

But, that "shitbox" is being driven far better by Russel and the "rocketship" is only being driven to the limit by Max... Why everybody ignore that?

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Pweeese, pweeety pweese. We wuv you max! All of us. The team in scary unison: ALL OF US.

[@07Corcaigh]

@@nos9510 true, notice how Toto isn't making as many excuses for Ham now

[@ezpz4659]

@@nos9510 Russ and Ham are both more talented than most of the drivers. The car is assdick.

[@mentallydefunct5782]

Imagine if Red Bull replaced Perez with Russell just to mess with Toto, that would be a Drive to Survive storyline if ever I've seen one.

[@dutchsailor6620]

RPM would have a field day.

[@red_robin1122]

@@dutchsailor6620BUT THEN! - RPM

[@deanchur]

Red Bull: Replaces Checo with Russell Toto: THE NERRRRRVE

[@jkbzz]

I actually see that happening. Should Max goto Mercedes, Russell might end up on RBR with Antonelli rumoured to be the 2nd driver at Mercedes.

[@digitalgulby]

I have to say that you are quite good about not posting click bait. Almost every F1 KZbin channel does it, yet, you don’t. A gold star for you ⭐️

[@PhilipVenter-zf2uv]

That is because just about all the other "new" commentators get their information from "Drive to Survive", not to mention that it's mostly Americans, and well, they can't wrap their heads around the fact that there are right turns in F1 aswell. So imagine what happens when it's an Anti-Clockwise race.

[@digitalgulby]

@@PhilipVenter-zf2uv hey, I’m an American. Be careful with your generalizations there buddy

[@PhilipVenter-zf2uv]

@@digitalgulby See the joke where it is.

[@purpleguy3000]

The comparison of Toto to Guenther feels right. It feels like Merc lacks a foundation but Toto can't see it and the management is only getting worse. The first obvious sign was Merc's move to get Red Bull's pitstop tech banned instead of fixing their slower stops, and now they don't have the fastest car all the other problems are becoming clearer. Toto needs to go.

[@jkbzz]

😂😂😂😂😂 I mean you can't make this stuff up Although one would argue Toto was only responding to Horner's tactics, remember Horner instigated the cost cap, and before that he protested virtually every single advantage Mercedes had, their floor, DAS, the engine, you name it. I think Toto was only returning the favor in that regard.

[@ClinicalDecisionYikesYT]

Toto is from planet earth, Max is from a different galaxy. It’s a tale of forbidden desire.

[@nissan300ztt]

Max isnt special. Hes in the best car. Period. Put him Max in a Haas and he will be nowhere. Stop sucking on Max's sack

[@toolegittoquit_001]

As old as time itself

[@nicolasmartinez3045]

I don't think I've ever started watching a video 43 seconds after uploading.

[@magdelinem6962]

Is me and you bro🙋😂🙈

[@bullterriermolly5874]

Remember when " cool people" would comment" first" on every KZbin video when they were the first view. 😂

[@brandonhoffman4712]

4thst!

[@Eagleracer38x]

I noticed how Toto had no visible reaction to anything George did last weekend, and Toto was up and down with Lewis's highs and lows.

[@jkbzz]

Personally, Toto is just pissed Lewis got himself into a better situation than he managed to offer. Toto is just like the average boss you wants so bad to fire you only for you to tell them you quit and they don't accept your resignation in good faith because they want it so badly to fire you. That Lewis was able to get that Ferrari deal and Ferrari gave him everything Mercedes and Toto said they couldn't looks very bad on Toto and he knows it. They never had any real friendship, it was just business. Hey look, Mercedes are rumored to wanna pay Max €150m a year plus a lifetime Ambassadorial deal. Out of nowhere for a driver who never ever raced for you. Tells you all you need to know.

[@yerrie1908]

And as Newey recently said (Not reported and quoted by our British F1 friends) Driver input and feedback is more important for the development of the car than any censor and or simulation. Even Honda has had it’s say about Max and working with him, say as it is, no BS, respect and deliver

[@jkbzz]

But Toto would opine differently, Toto said drivers are overrated 😂😂😂

[@yerrie1908]

@@jkbzz Toto the investor ? that dude ?

[@Zoom15000]

Personally I think Toto's comments about F1 being more than the car were trying to appeal to Max with things about branding, sponsorships, ambassadorial roles, and things of that nature (all the things Lewis were asking Mercedes for). The problem with this is that Max has shown consistently he doesn't care about any of that. He cares about racing and winning; the car IS all that matters to Verstappen. Media duties, branding, and the 'show' are things that he has no interest in, and seems to find it actively irritating. If Toto is willing to throw all this at Max, why didn't he throw it at Lewis who actually wanted it? Had he done so then Lewis probably wouldn't be going to Ferrari next season.

[@LawVS]

Indeed. Goes to show that Toto is out to touch with what Max truly wants out of F1.

[@Zoom15000]

@@LawVS absolutely, and possibly the more he tries to offer up all this to Max, the more put off he's going to be.

[@BruceKarrde]

It's like an old man entering the dating market again and having no clue what women want these days :D Good analysis!

[@Zoom15000]

@@BruceKarrde that's a good way of putting it 😂

[@viddykhaos2896]

A very good point you have made here. Max is, arguably, the LEAST marketable driver because he actively shows his disdain for marketing - even in his time at Red Bull. This is a man obsessed with the drive. He wants a car, a good racer’s circuit, and a good crew. Lewis is a wonderful driver, but he has that affinity for public relations and marketing that Max lacks. You cannot appeal to the cat with a bone for a dog.

[@MahF1V10]

A star driver isn't the solution for all of Merc's problems. Toto is putting Max and Kimi on a pedestal and setting him self up for disappointment. Would like to see James Vowles replace him ultimately.

[@MrVsGarage]

No idea how you're getting a video out every day now but keep it up! Excellent stuff! For me it feels like Toto understands the long media game and so he's trying to get headlines which Max will read to plant a subconcious idea that Mercedes IS the right choice for him.

[@Redlingstein]

As if Max reads press 😂😂😂

[@EnfvntTerrible]

Max too busy dumpstering people on iracing to give a toss about what the media has to say tbh

[@LordSwagtron]

@@EnfvntTerriblemax on a grand prix Saturday, streaming iRacing until 4am: “oh sh*t, gotta log off, need to be at work tomorrow” *wins the goddamn race* 😂

[@viddykhaos2896]

Toto is an opportunist. He sees an opening in the team and wishes for a replacement, and for him that is ideally the driver who is robotically consistent. Now, I do think it is not a good idea. Russel is the young talent they need to nurture and grow - bringing a world champion to their team or trying to will undermine that. It is time for Mercedes to step back, and have time without a champion. Let the younger drivers grow and have a period of discovery and realignment, all teams need that. This is a golden opportunity if seen from the right angle.

[@CobraAce04]

Why does Toto hate George Russel?! He’s your young driver, rely on him and train up a rookie. Then build the damn team, car and concept. My respect for Toto has been plummeting since 2022

[@Maartwo]

Toto is a shady sore loser. He deserves the failure that he's suffering.

[@Redlingstein]

And Toto is even George’s manager as well!

[@bullterriermolly5874]

Latte boy ain't the guy and toto knows it !

[@CobraAce04]

@@bullterriermolly5874 lets see, 3rd year in the team, 5th year in F1 and not too far off the greatest F1 driver of all time statistically. 26 years of age, meaning he's 4 to 5 years off his peak. Driving a car that changes concept every year. Seems like talent worth relying on and focusing on, instead of wasting his career and wasting money replacing him with a driver who has a 4 year contract that it'd cost the GDP of a country to break

[@jkbzz]

​@@CobraAce04ask yourself a simple question, do you really think George can beat Max head to head, say you put George in that 2021 car, does he defeat Max or even come close? I think the answer to this let's you understand why Toto wants Max and Antonelli. George will likely land at RBR or McLaren. He is a good lad but F1 is a cutthroat sport where the best are judged on the thinnest of margins. It's unfair but it is what it is.

[@Noriegha67]

How is this channel not exploding in veiwership, this is becoming my go to F1 source, bravo well done!!

[@mermils]

Great video As a mercedes fan, am afraid of that parallel between mercedes and mclaren makes it real, even worse if the engine of 2026 become like honda and it will be the last nail in the coffin. Making into midfield again like when it arrived is something am afraid but could arrive with all the new and current contenders who looks ready to perform high.

[@benhoffman1379]

I just spent 20 minutes being trapped in some guys attic.

[@p3t3r_waffles]

17:40 - "come 202012" got about.... 199988 years before that F1 season. cant wait!

[@danielkaiselgruber1750]

Max is obviously bored of F1 because he has basically no competition at this point, and I am sure if ferrari offered him a seat he'd think about it, because that car can actually compete in a way that lets max fight with other drivers and still win the wdc and races. Max wants to win, he will not take P2 for an answer, he got beat by checo once and got so determined to never let it happen again that it hasn't even really been close to hapoen again on more than a few occasions. The mercedes while it would allow him to have the fights he obviously wants, wouldn't allow him to win the wdc and races as consistently as he would in a car that isn't a literal tractor. Let's also not forget that max sees how lewis is being treated right now, and if the driver that shares the record for most WDCs with who I think is one of if not the best driver F1 has ever seen in schuhmacher how can he expect that he'll be treated any differently in his last year of his contract? RB would absolutely let max go out in a beautiful fireball (no pun intended) rather than trying to completely sweep him away from the public eye.

[@underSTATEDexcellence]

He has always been obsessed with Max, he masked it as hate before though. He acts like one of your ex’s that can’t get over you so talks bad about you but then when your on the rocks with your new chick she tries to slide in those DM’s to get you back.

[@another_fan717]

i guess you could say Toto is trying to be Enemies to Lovers with Max 🙃

[@VulgrDisplay]

I guarantee Max would drive that Mercedes better than Lewis or George. Lewis is a great race driver, but what sets Max apart is that he just becomes part of whatever car you put him in. He's able to draw performance out of cars other people don't even know is there.

[@emmanuelgenga7421]

That thumbnail is pure gold 😂😂😂

[@AajasAhmed]

Thumbnail ☠️👀

[@CubiReviews]

I've been saying for years, Toto was only good at managing existing success. Now that the team struggles, you can see ghat he's pretty clueless and the team around him is falling apart. It all started in 2021 and just became more obvious within the last couple seasons.

[@lalalittle3900]

I've been saying the same thing. It has slowly been unraveling, and with Lewis jumping ship, Toto is losing it! Not to mention, he's starting to act like he's been jilted.

[@haribo836]

The first thing any self respecting team looking for a driver should do, is see if there is a possibility to sign Verstappen. For most teams it's unlikely to happen, but if you want the best for your team, the option to sign the driver who is currently unbeatable should be the first one to be looked into.

[@rocket69218]

Lets face it, the only reason Merc have so many fans in F1 is because of Lewis and their winning run. There run came to an end and now Lewis is leaving. I would be worried too if I was Toto. Merc are looking to become a largely irrelevant midfield team that nobody cares about. Even with Lance, Aston seem a far more interesting and exciting team.

[@haribo836]

Agree. They had the mega star Hamilton, backed up by the huge amount of British fans in this sport, combined with the best engine and a good chassis. But behind that, it is still the grey, boring, corporate team without the flair and character that teams like Ferrari, Red Bull or even Williams have. It's how the Germans like it, organized, structured and without any smiles on the faces. It's so unlikable that even in Stuttgart (I go there for work regularly), you find Hamilton fans, but not a lot of Mercedes fans. They don't even see it as their home team, it's a British team for them. In Salzburg on the other hand (go there often as well), an equally British team is seen as theirs.

[@pranc236]

No mikey No, put the drivers back the way they were last year! ~future toto

[@PuRe_AdDicT]

If I was Max or any other top 6 driver, I’d want to be wherever Adrian Newey is.

[@Saiko-Johnny]

That philosophy would have been a big mistake between 2014 and 2020, wouldn't it?

[@PuRe_AdDicT]

@@Saiko-Johnny As long as ground effect is in the regulations, I’ll stand by my statement.

[@spiyder]

@@Saiko-Johnnythe engine of the redbull was bad, once they got a good engine, 2021 happened

[@Reaz399]

Adrian isn‘t even the main designer of the current RB cars tho, that would be Pierre Waché. People need to stop overrating a single engineer. Newey is a genius and definitely the best car designer in F1 history but the RB technical team as a whole would beat the others even without Newey.

[@MrBashem]

@@Reaz399 Yeah, its weird people keep mention Newey so much like he was the sole reason the car is fast. There's no way for 1 person to design an F1 car.

[@Ryzard]

I get the feeling that Russell will be the new Leclerc, just desperately trying to do his job while the team explodes and Toto is put on suicide watch

[@ToxicAWOL]

Toto Wolff has always had a successful team under his leadership prior to 2022 give or take a season, so he has gotten complacent with the success. Unlike Redbull and Ferarri who tries to keep their car at the highest level of efficiency even when they are at the top of the standings, Mercedes hasn’t really done that without dumping a ton of money into the research. Now that Mercedes is on the back foot, they are desperate to make a decent move. However now that Lewis has pretty much given up on the German Constructor and move to Maranello, they are breaking down and the only thing that Toto can save it is a WDC driver like Max to replace Lewis. Max literally has no reason to bail on Redbull since Newey’s immaculate design and Honda’s Power Unit literally destroying the grid with Schmidt showing her stuff with the strategy calls. Literally there is nothing Toto can offer that Redbull could match and even exceed on their end.

[@GloomGaiGar]

Totos success in F1 mostly came from being able throw the entire GDP of several small countries at problems.

[@gloryordeath1165]

Hey did you see that Theo Pourchaire made a pretty good go of it at Long Beach this weekend for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar moving up from 22nd to 11th and I believe he's filling in again this weekend at Barber. I bring it up because IMO his performance was on par if not better than Ollie Bearmans ; brand new car type, on a very difficult street course. Check it out if you get a chance

[@micodyerski1621]

The salary cap is showing its head at Merc. Cant have 300 people work on aero! 😮

[@pspcow]

Within half a year or so, I went from watching my first highlight of f1 to watching daily videos about it. Thank you LawVs

[@hattorihonzo8340]

I’m nit picking but the HP sponsor switch is actually false. HP enterprise and HP are 2 different companies after they split into a parent company type thing.

[@djdsf]

Mercedes is giving Lewis that Valtteri treatment.

[@dgomes265]

Time for a leadership change at Mercedes, as a 1/3 owner Toto should know when it is time to get off the pitch/ice. He will not sign Max and is betting the bank on Antonelli

[@xdYama]

love the videos man! i've been getting back into F1 and this is what i need to catch up on everything lol

[@Ticklestein]

Because he knows Max doesn’t care and it triggers the hell out of Horner?

[@tychopolak4961]

Too bad for Wolf won't ever get Max, he even said so himself in an interview

[@Gopher31]

If Toto wanted relevance, Alonso would have been an easier target.

[@henkormel5610]

When winning it was very easy to get along. Now Toto has to show he is a decent team principle when times are tough. Hamilton needs a car that is tailored to him and George doesn't needs that but prefers it. That's why Hamilton is 'experimenting' so much. The car can't be tailored to him.

[@yerrie1908]

Toto wants Max because the whole motorsport world knows that Max is the best this sport has ever seen. No matter how much the British have tried to bring him down (as GP famously said after last lap AD’21) and have tried to assassinate Max character, Max always delivers and Max is always straight forward Max no matter what, people like that, they wanna work with him. They know as Newey knows and Hannah knows that whatever they come up with that Max will get everything out of it. And not just that race but every turn, lap, session, quali, race and season for 20 years now, his last day off was a karting race in Italy 15 yearsr ago. The motorsport world knows, even investor Toto knows, he even knows that his team and a driver career imploded after they lost their 7 year 50bhp advantage.

[@TyphoonUK]

The content workhorse strikes again 🎉 loving the consistent uploads

[@supermario9499]

I usually listen to this videos while i play war thunder

[@ezpz4659]

He has 2 great drivers and still thinks its the driver. ITS THE Car

[@awsomesauce345345]

I think if red bull wasn't so damn good, or max wasn't so damn good (Sergio is well behind him), the rest of the teams wouldn't be freaking out as much as they are. Max is an amazing driver getting the most out of an amazing car. The battle for second place is amazing max is just too good...

[@18is18is18ter]

I love your videos Ladderman :D

[@kyleharrison713]

As a Red Bull fan I believe that Max will go wherever Newey goes. If Adrian decides to stay then so will Max. No point in leaving until at least 2026.

[@tulpamedia]

I love Verstappen. He is really an incredible driver to watch. Something about the way he can turn corners so sharply without losing much speed is really unbelievable and unmatched. The Redbull team has really outdone themselves. Their car is really a marvel of engineering, and it works incredibly well with Max's driving style. It's like the perfect storm.

[@spooterify]

Ahhh 2020 12, the good old days :) Thanks for the uploads, love your videos and perspective, keep em coming.

[@cosmicking7979]

Toto is Max's Joe Goldberg

[@Reaz399]

Toto always wanted Max, even before he joined F1. He lost out in 2014 to RB who could offer him a seat at STR for 2015 and Toto has tried to sign Max multiple times even after that (2017/end of 2019). He always knew that Max was the best and most talented driver on the grid and the heir to Schumacher and Senna yet with Hamilton still at the team he always made sure to never praise Max too much to not piss off Hamilton. 2021 clearly showed who’s the better driver and with Hamilton now gone he can finally fulfill his dream of having Max in the team, it really is that simple. I highly doubt that Max would ever consider joining Merc before 2027 tho since absolutely nobody knows what 2026 has in store PU and aero wise. I‘d alwaya bet on RB to build the best chassis/aero for 2026 but if the RBPT PU is bad then they could have a repeat of their time between 14-20 with an uncompetitve PU which even the best aero and chassis work can‘t undo.

[@HalloweenJack_Work]

I feel like the only immediate positive thing Mercedes has going on for them vis a vis driver signings are the rumours about their 2026 engine development.

[@WeAreNotAIone]

I had you in my recommendation for a while and watched multiple of your videos already, finally decided to subscribe.

[@xariaauwu5471]

thank you for giving me daily f1 content it scratches my itch nicely 😊

[@thecentralscrutinizer304]

Best F1 analysis on KZbin. Keep 'em coming good sir.

[@valerierodger]

I think this takes a bit too much credit away from Toto. He is struggling right now, but I think that has more to do with his own personal headspace rather than his abilities as a team principal. Lewis signing for Ferrari was a _personal_ hit not just a professional one. he is melting down on a personal level and it is spilling over into his professional role.

[@riancastermans1607]

Why is Toto obsessed? Because he knows how good Max is.

[@ASkippingRock]

The zero pod concept reminded me of stealth fighter. If they had solved some problems with it I could see it reducing drag. Instead of honing the idea and updating the CFD which was clearly missing something they blamed Mike Elliot (mistake), changed the concept multiple times and capitulated to Lewis's demands (not an engineer). After which Lewis left the team. Mercedes never really credits George for out performing Lewis. Bad management. No one employee takes priority over the team. Everyone is replaceable.

[@chrisw9445]

This random dude talks a lot of sense, subbed

[@AndyFromBeaverton]

I think Max at Mercedes today would put his car on the front row every race with an 'experimental' setup.

[@Lanse1984]

I very much believe Max is that much better than everyone else

[@Thuddster]

Wouldn't it be wonderful if F1 ran a parallel spec series race instead of Sprint races? Every team runs identical spec cars on saturday in a full length race, then runs their custom bespoke F1 spec chassis on Sunday. So all drivers are in equal cars one day, tjen we see what difference the team's chassis/engine make... Would be expensive to run this "IROC"- style series, but man...would that be special. Must watch racing, the best in the world hands down!

[@Thuddster]

​​​@@Lanse1984sorry, Max is top notch, but not *that* much "better than everyone else". He is clearly in the best car, but if he was hugely better than everyone else, Checo would never beat him, and rarely finish 1-2. Max is driving the obviously best car on the grid, designed by the greatest designer ever, on the best team top to bottom. Further, the car is finely optimized to Max's driving style. Its a near-unbeatable combo. No disrespect to Max, he is among the top 4 or 5 drivers in the sport at this time, any of which could dominate as he does given the same car, team, and optimization that he currently enjoys.

[@Lanse1984]

@@Thuddster really? Formula 1 at 17. Owns most single season records. Won 10 races in the mercedes era. Won 10 races in a GP3 car that had never scored a podium. Max is literally the most dominant driver in Formula 1 history.

[@viddykhaos2896]

@@Lanse1984not to mention that the other commenter is leaving out consistency and handling difficulty. The car he has setup is made to be hard to drive - and yet he drives it. His consistency is robotic, and he literally cannot be bothered to do anything but race in a sim or in real life. “Remove the car and he is effectively the same,” to paraphrase, is not a sensible view of Max and surely not of any very talented driver who had a dominant car in the past.

[@notorioushkm97]

Do you know what Benetton, Ferrari & Mercedes have in common? All 3 had Ross Brawn & Michael Schumacher help develop the team to their Championship winning ways Kimi inherited Ferrari & Lewis with Mercedes when Schumacher stepped down both times

[@ppmnox]

great analysis! it's interesting to learn about the behind the scenes machinations of F1.

[@brad6630]

Lewis has had that level of pessimism before, his final year with McLaren I remember similar. Will be interesting to see how he does next year in a Ferrari.

[@johnlee5859]

you are my sole source for news when it comes to f1 thank u my friend great vids consistently

[@Fiasco3]

Mercedes success was an unfair advantage in engine design that the others teams had no access to. Once the regulations changed Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes were dragged back to the pack and their era of unfair dominance was over. Mercedes have to re-learn how to compete as a team.

[@BOBBOBBOBBOBBOBBOB69]

HP Sause is nice, but Daddies rules.

[@LawVS]

True.

[@bobdevreeze4741]

Pinnacle: Red Bull. Up and coming: Ferrari, McLaren. Holding their own: Aston Martin, Haas. Losing ground: Mercedes, Sauber, Racing Bulls. Hopeless: Alpine, Williams. I don't see Lewis being the saviour for Ferrari. Mercedes is rushing Antonelli, something that rarely works. Fernando is at the end of a huge career. The constant in Formula 1 is change. Those who cant work with it are run over... Toto...

[@kudkudkun8518]

Honestly would love to see ocon in that merc seat , imagine the chaos

[@TheZachatree]

The Horner scandal is definitely not over. It may be fading in the public eye due to it being suppressed as much as possible, but the root of it all is very much at play. Remember I said it.

[@irishwristwatch2487]

That's the issue. However good the car is, the environment is toxic AF

[@erickrodriguez6053]

As a salesman myself i think that toto's strategy may backfire if he doesnt stop hunting for max so desperately, the message he is sending to the other drivers may not be the best, he is pretty much saying to the other drivers that if max wants to go to mercedes and they are there they are screwed, thats not a very atracctive idea considering how strong max is in the first place, right now only kimi and carlos are real candidates and that kind of message may not be the best if you have them as options, well see but toto is looking desperate

[@dutchsailor6620]

RB could use that at their advantage. If they would like to get rid of a driver, Max could drop a line like : "I did consider moving to Mercedes but they have (any name here) driving for them and he is still under contract, so that wouldn't work out." It could really mess up Toto's head and bring a lot of unrest in the team.

[@Redlingstein]

Exactly

[@erickrodriguez6053]

@@dutchsailor6620 it may work but in the long run it would be bad for max image, rb wont be dominant forever and when that happens max would be tempted to leave, and if he does what you are saying the teams wont be so open to sign him and prepare the table for him, after tricks like the one you are saying what guarantees that max will leave?

[@scottbrick9918]

Merc is reminding me of McLaren in the early 2010s, constantly changing the concept each yeah trying to find a way to catch red bull while not understanding the cars and falling slowly behind the others

[@jackcowling5969]

Every dominant team goes through this as they get complacent and in Mercedes case they relied heavily on there engine and unlimited spending. Toto is on paper a great team principle but these last few seasons have shown that he might not be as good as he looks on paper I would say RedBulls slump was quite different as that was down to there engine supplier over there car design as there’s only need the odd occupation where RedBull have got it wrong aerodynamically

[@YourContentSucks.]

"Bi'ah brown sauce. Mmm. Lovely."

[@SugarFreeLatte]

If they sign Max or even Carlos i think they risk losing Russell, he was promised the #1 years back, but now with Lewis staying as long as he did and as soon as he leaves, signing someone like Max Verstappen will just solidify that promise as broken

[@another_fan717]

I would like to see Carlos still in a "top" team but... as Law mentioned, the second seat is not looking good because allegedly, Mercedes is still giving a 1+1 contract. Who wants to start a "relationship" like that? Maybe the "older" drivers don't mind but young drivers want the commitment. And honestly, I don't think Russel is really THAT guy, he's good for sure but as of now, don't really think he's world champion material

[@MIXDJ3000]

I mean if James Allison goes away, hopefully Mclaren can pick him up. I feel like Mercedes or at least Toto, is expecting a boost of performance after a third concept change when they don't even understand it yet. No matter how good a car designer is, if you keep changing concept, results are gonna be mixed.

[@LazeeAnomalee]

They don't need Allison, Stella and the structure they have at McLaren has proven themselves to be quite effective, just look at the turnaround in form from the beginning of last season to the end of it, couldn't be a more polar opposite of what is currently going on at Mercedes. I put Allison in the same category as Toto, gets credit for being at an already established winning team but when rules change or he's in charge of development he fumbles. Look at his stint at Ferrari he was directly responsible for the F14T probably the worst handling Ferrari produced in recent times. We had his stint at Lotus when he came up with his bizarre forward facing exhaust blown diffuser to compete with Newey's designs and they were a total bust and need I remind people that the W13 was conceptualised on his watch before he took a leave of absence and Elliot inherited a car so far in development that it was impossible to change course. This years W15 has been 100% developed by Allison himself and if I can say anything it's that it's gone further backwards than what was then declared woeful W13 and W14. Elliot was scapegoated by Toto, the fact that Redbull took inspiration from their design (cannons and high side walled engine cover) means they were on the right path and if they had time to develop the suspension with that design for this season who knows were that car would be. Instead pressure from Toto and Hamilton essentially ousted Elliot from the team and their solution was to dump the entire thing and start with a complete redesign which has turned out to be a very short sighted decision. I agree with Law here, Toto inherited that team he didn't build anything from the ground up and now that its his responsibility to steer the team in the right direction were seeing he is out of his depth. It says a lot when his star driver has lost faith in his leadership and the team and is looking for pastures new after so much success together. Brawn is the real hero of that Mercedes team, Toto just took the glory.

[@desshinnick9365]

F1 is entertainment. Toto and Christian understand this. F1 continually has these things going on to get engagement. They are masterful at managing it. All F1 teams win with this stuff. I think Toto can easily sign Max. He just has to understand what does Max want to make the change.

[@joeofoysterbay7197]

Toto is effing with Horner all he can. It doesn't matter if something isn't true, he's going all in. There's clearly no love lost. He's piling on, poking all the sensitive areas, and enjoying it.

[@Zoom15000]

Here's a question: what is going to happen if Mercedes' upgrades DON'T make the impact they hope for? As you say this is their third concept in as many years and if this doesn't work out what are they going to do with only one more year until the regulation changes (assuming they aren't delayed). Do you think they'll stick with this next season and try and improve it, come up with ANOTHER concept for 2025, or effectively just write the rest of this season and next off as failed and focus entirely on developing for 2026? The last one would make SOME sense if they're bringing Antonelli in and basically just give him a free season under no pressure to get some F1 experience in a car with no expectations.

[@GloomGaiGar]

They have to stick with it. The more they reset their concept, the bigger the gap that they have to close with the teams that are destroying them.

[@Zoom15000]

@@GloomGaiGar true, but with the rule changes coming in 2026 they're not going to catch up before then, no matter what they do. 2025 then could be considered a free season to experiment, or to just focus primarily on developing for 2026. I just think if 2024 upgrades don't see a big jump in performance they'll be at a bit of a crossroads in how they move forward.

[@LathropLdST]

As Horner put it in DTS: "FIX YOUR 🤬 CAR!!"

[@TerryKnight-hw3pg]

Ferrari are going to regret signing Hamilton.

[@shanetuffnell8265]

Hi from Australia love your work...also in your opinion do you think dan will be sacked ??

[@LawVS]

At least not yet. He needs to respond to Yuki first and score points before we can discuss that fully.

[@shanetuffnell8265]

@LawVS thank you for your reply i really appreciate it

[@notastone4832]

i mean pay him a quarter billion a year and maybe he would do it.. honestly he might still turn that down.. reliable pit stops are probably priceless for someone who has that much cash.. same with strategy..

[@ZenTea]

They really should have stuck with the zero pod design. If they are going to suck, at least suck with style. Regs changing soon anyway.

[@rotnbazturd7569]

This is what happens when you buy your championships. Toto is use to just throwing money at the problem and the cost cap has got him totally mentally ill. Imagine having all the money and resources of Merc and you can't use it to improve your car .... lol.

[@Majima_Nowhere]

And people told me Ferrari would suffer most from the cost cap, and Merc would continue to dominate. Wish I could go hand out some "Told you so's"

[@ChristopherBuenviaje]

Allison's success at Ferrari isn't soley because of him, its a team effort, Resta, Baldesseri, Bryne, Binotto and Brawn where there. He left for Renault but it was the mass damper and the tyres that made reanault with Alonso's brilliance that worked.

[@jabudecapricornio8750]

If Toto doesn't manage to get Max for 2025 it will be the first time on the history of the team they will not have a F1 Champion in the lineup

[@Danker19991]

Ah yes good old test driver Lewis. Such a trooper, even though he’s leaving the team he’s basically doing 100% of the simulator work for Mercedes. Totally not copium.

[@generaldreagonlps6889]

I definitely think it would be a wise idea for Toto to take a step back and either be the CEO of the team or go somewhere else entirely. But I feel like a change in team principal for Mercedes would be good.

[@Emarq31]

Tip for Toto: Start saving

[@irrationalgeographic9953]

Toto and Christen have a rather combative relationship and I think this is Toto getting digs in. Every time those 2 get together sparks fly and they both like to throw some shade at each other whenever they can. I use to think it was just a bit of banter but I think they really really dont like each other. After the last few years Toto needs to get spicy when he can.

[@Lanselot2069]

the arguments about mercedes only ever being that dominant because of their engine are getting more and more weight the longer this goes on. every other aspect of the team has seriously deteriorated since getting that head start. thinking max is choosing mercedes over red bull as they are right now is downright delusional.

[@Lael128]

Mercedes is deserving of its current form. They can’t outspend their rivals out of this situation.

[@aaronsorensen5165]

Toto could have Sainz for a year. His britches are just too tight. So instead of Kimi going to Williams for a year, Mercedes will get another Sargent with a teammate whose britches are also too tight.

[@SIC66SIC66]

Toto is saying Lewis is wrong now because it "shows" Mercedes wasnt good because of Lewis before, so please buy more of my stock.

[@domformula1]

For me, it’s far more realistic that MV will run to the end of this contract cycle, then move to Ferrari by which time LH will have hung up the gloves. Far more feasible. Mercedes are a Brackley based team that have been Mercedes since 2010 and had a superb run for 8 seasons. Ferrari are Ferrari. Only one has the allure, no matter how many three pointed stars you paint on the other. As for Toto, does he have time? Is that not the issue here. He seems like a man under more pressure every weekend than he was the last. It does make me wonder how much of a super team he assembled and, how much he inherited.

[@Redlingstein]

Max will go to Endurance after 2028

[@Majima_Nowhere]

​@@RedlingsteinNah, he'll just drop his F1 hobby and be a full time streamer x)

[@Suicidalsheep]

I might be super wrong but it kinda feels like Lewis his old girlfriend(Toto) is now openly flirting with the one guy that is the bane of him since ‘21. I think Toto can definitely be this petty just to spite his former star driver.