Toto Wolff: Monza Q3 made Formula 1 look like junior class

Italian Grand Prix

Wolff: Monza Q3 made F1 look like junior class

The Mercedes boss has slammed the behaviour of some.

Martin Macdonald

Saturday 7 September 2019 17:01

Toto Wolff believes the behaviour of some of the drivers and personnel in the latter stages of Italian GP qualifying on Saturday was more befitting of junior drivers than Formula 1.

The Q3 session turned into a shambles as teams waited for as long as possible to go back out on the track to post their final lap atter a red flag, as each driver could potentially benefit from a slipstream from the car ahead to decrease wind resistance.

However, with just barely two minutes remaining, it proved not to be enough time for everyone to make it round to the starting line apart from Carlos Sainz.

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Ferrari benefitted as Charles Leclerc previously posted the fastest lap, while Mercedes took second and third.

The Silver Arrows team principal has bemoaned the amateurish climax to the day.

“You have been around for 35 years, have you ever seen anything like this? Me neither,” Wolff said when asked about whether F1 was made to look silly by the events.

“That was not even worthy of a junior formula. The problem is, everyone is trying to get the slipstream and it's a nerve game of who exits first.

“Some that have exited first start to reduce speed going through the chicane outside of the track. It is junior class.

“Everybody looked like idiots.”

Nico Hulkenberg was the driver who came out first from the pits. However, moments later he went wide through the chicane, allowing other drivers to pass, meaning he could then take advantage of any potential slipstreams.

When asked if the German was directly responsible for the eventual traffic, he included him with anyone else who was leading as the guilty parties.

“Everybody who was at the front at a certain stage,” he responded.

“Hulkenberg leading the pack out then going through the chicane. Then some of the other cars reducing the speed.

“Once you're out, you're out. It wasn't worthy of Formula 1.”