Wolff on Verstappen's hindrance: "It was an act of revenge"

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has no kind words for Max Verstappen's reaction to an incident with Lewis Hamilton during the Sprint Shootout in Austria. Hamilton impeded Verstappen towards the end of SQ1, forcing the Dutchman to abandon his lap at the very last moment. Verstappen then repeated a similar action towards Hamilton, which Wolff clearly sees as an "act of revenge."

During the qualifying session prior to Saturday's Austrian Sprint Race, Verstappen and Hamilton crossed paths repeatedly. Prior to his next fast lap, the British driver tried to find space on the track, but due to a miscommunication with the team, he was unaware of Verstappen approaching. For the Dutchman, this resulted in an abrupt end to his fast lap in the final corner of the circuit, preventing him from setting a time at that moment.

This incident then got repeated a second time, however the roles were reversed this time. The Mercedes driver wanted to begin his fast lap while Verstappen had just finished his and was on a cooldown lap, causing a difference in pace. The two encountered each other again in the first corner: according to Verstappen, he intended to start a second fast lap but couldn't find any space to do so, eventually getting in Hamilton's way.

Mercedes' mistake, but Wolff still disagrees

Despite the frustration, Wolff does admit that the mistake originated on Mercedes' side. In an interview with Sky Sports, the Austrian stressed that there were communication issues that led to the mishap. "The mistake happened on our side. The communication between us and Lewis didn't give him the right information to get out of Max's (Verstappen, ed.) way. However, Wolff believes that there was no intention behind it. "I think no one wants to be in anybody's way because if you impede, you're getting penalised, so that was not the aim."

Despite the German team taking responsibility, Wolff is not in favor of Verstappen's reaction. "On the other hand, the incident in turn one was an act of revenge (by Verstappen, ed.). His sole objective was to ruin Hamilton's lap." However, Wolff quickly calmed down. "One action was intentional, the other wasn't. But does it matter? Ultimately, it had no consequences for our race. But I do think this will be discussed in the next drivers' briefing."