Wolff on Red Bull clash: You can’t expect guard dogs to behave like puppies 

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes Red Bull’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix intra-team collision highlights the “upsides and downsides” of having two fast Formula 1 drivers in the same team. 

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen collided as they battled for fourth place in the closing stages of a crazy race in Baku, having raced each other close earlier in the grand prix. 

The clash wiped out both drivers on the spot and prompted the introduction of a second Safety Car period which changed the complexion of the race, ultimately won in dramatic fashion by new world championship leader Lewis Hamilton. 

It left Red Bull’s F1 chiefs fuming, but while both Verstappen and Ricciardo have both been ordered to make an appearance at the four-time world champions’ Milton Keynes factory to apologise to staff, the team is keen to avoid implementing team orders at future races. 

Speaking about the incident, Wolff said: “I just think you have to remind them that beyond all the racing that the drivers are here for, there is a large structure in the background that is working 24/7 to provide them with the best possible cars. 

“But equally, you don’t want that lion spirit to be away from the track. I’ve said it before, you can’t expect to have guard dogs in the car and to behave like puppies. There are upsides and downsides about having fast drivers in the car.”

Mercedes faced a similar situation at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, when teammates and direct title rivals Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collided on the opening-lap, taking both cars out in the process. 

Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda also waded in on the debate, adding he felt Verstappen was mainly to blame for the incident.

“It’s a disaster and we had it once [Spain 2016],” Lauda said. “For me, it is 70 percent Verstappen and 30 percent Ricciardo. He was moving on him all the time, where can the poor guy go?

“I would bring them in the office together with Toto and tell them how much less they will get paid because of the damage they have done. We thought about this once but we didn’t have to do it."