Verstappen tells Wolff: 'Appreciate when a team is doing well'

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Max Verstappen has hit back at Toto Wolff for his derided comments on the Dutchman's record winning streak, telling the Mercedes boss he should be more appreciative of Red Bull's achievements.

At Monza last time out, Verstappen not only upheld Red Bull's clean sweep record in 2023, he also scored a record tenth consecutive win in F1.

But Wolff dismissed the championship leader's remarkable accomplishment, insisting it was only worthy of a mention in Wikipedia and "nobody reads that".

Verstappen said he wasn't upset with the disdainful remark but expected Wolff to better recognize Red Bull's success just as the latter had been appreciative of Mercedes' own supremacy in the past.

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"I'm not disappointed in that, but they had a pretty shit race, so he probably was still pissed off with their performance," Verstappen said in Singapore on Thursday.

"I don't know, he almost sounds like he's an employee of our team sometimes, but luckily not!

"I think it's just important that you focus on your own team. That's what we do as well. That's what we did in the past as well, when we were behind them and when they were dominating.

"And I think you should be able to appreciate when a team is doing really well, which I think we've done in the past, because it worked also as a kind of inspiration.

"To see someone that dominant was very impressive at the time and we knew that we just had to work harder and try to be better and try to get to that level.

"Now that we are there, we are very happy of course and we are enjoying the moment."

Asked if he felt relieved by reaching a new record milestone in F1, Verstappen said the feat would not change his approach to the race weekend.

"I never really looked at the number - eight, nine, 10. I just always want to do the best I can," he said.

"So naturally every single weekend, it's basically the same amount of pressure you put on yourself to try and get the best result out of it. Nothing really changes actually from that side."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.