Max Verstappen reacts to Toto Wolff's comments on the era of selfish and 'moaning' drivers ending in F1

Max Verstappen has responded to claims from Toto Wolff that the era for F1 drivers who complain and put themselves before the team has come to an end.

Following Kimi Antonelli's championship win at the Mexican Grand Prix last weekend, Toto Wolff was full of praise for the Italian for his conduct at Mercedes since replacing seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton as a teenager in 2025.

Wolff said: “This notion of win at all costs, selfish, opportunistic, ruthless for your own benefit, that model of racing driver has died.

"We have a new champion that represents values: humility, integrity, loyalty, respect. Being himself. He should be a role model for many other young drivers.

“He should be a role model for the few entitled ones in Formula One. The endless moaners on the radio. The ones that complain, the ones that crash.

"Look at this kid of 20 years and then think what you can do in order to improve. That’s the message to these kids.”

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Toto Wolff's pointed message

While Wolff didn't single out any driver, his words did come on a Mexican GP weekend where Verstappen was given a one-place grid penalty for a needless tangle with Red Bull colleague Liam Lawson during practice.

The four-time world champion is renowned for voicing his displeasure over the radio over any issues with his Red Bull car.

It also came on a weekend where Ferrari's team-mates Hamilton and Charles Leclerc victory, giving Wolff plenty of examples to base his point on.

Verstappen: We can't all be the same

Verstappen though claimed during Thursday's press conference ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo that a sport where everyone had the same personality would be boring when asked about Wolff's comments.

He said: "I mean, everyone is entitled to their opinion, right? I have nothing else to say, really.

"Every person is different anyway. I think that's what is good for Formula 1 because if everyone has the same personality, it's very boring.

When asked whether Antonelli would be the same model of driver if the championship was closer, Verstappen said: "Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? It's impossible to know, right?

Also in the press conference was Fernando Alonso, another driver who is known to voice his displeasure over the radio in a season where Aston Martin and their Honda partnership have let the two-time world champion down by producing a car that has reliability issues and struggles to reach the top 10.

When Alonso was questioned on whether he had any thoughts on Wolff's comments, he simply said: "Nothing to add."

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