Lauda skids on Ferrari, Wolff apologizes
As part of the British Grand Prix that took place last weekend, Niki Lauda made harsh remarks about Ferrari. Toto Wolff, executive director of Mercedes, apologized to the Scuderia.
We know Niki Lauda’s straightforwardness, as he never hesitates to say what he thinks whenever he’s asked about a specific topic. This time, did the triple Austrian world champion and current non-executive director of the Mercedes team go too far?
When asked about Mercedes’ omnipresence at the forefront and the possible impact of the German team’s domination on the spectacle offered in Formula 1, Lauda did not hesitate to criticize the competition in this regard, notably Ferrari: « How can one say it’s Mercedes’ fault when Ferrari is lounging around a plate of spaghetti instead of working to improve their car’s performance? »
Rather blunt and precise remarks that reached the ears of Maurizio Arrivabene, who expressed his discontent upon hearing such criticism from a former champion of the Scuderia. This prompted Toto Wolff, Executive Director of Mercedes, to react and apologize to the Italian team: « Everyone knows the special bond that unites Niki with Ferrari and his passion for Formula 1. That’s why he is sometimes very direct and occasionally says things quite bluntly, going beyond what he means. At Mercedes, we don’t want to offend anyone. We respect Ferrari and we look forward to competing with their drivers on the track. We take the threat they pose very seriously and need to work hard at the factory to defend our position in the championship. They are not just lazing around over a plate of spaghetti. They made that perfectly clear to us in Malaysia. » he specified in the columns of our German colleagues at Bild.
