The world has changed dramatically since the final round of the 2021 World Championship. Accusations, allegations of fraud, threats of lawsuits, and now a red carpet and a wooing of Max Verstappen.
But the outrage began long before that, with the Silverstone crash everyone remembers, and Verstappen's rogue G-force crash. While the Wolffs celebrated their victory lavishly. And then the ever-loyal Lewis Hamilton dropped Mercedes like a healthy man drops a plague-ridden stick, and everything changed.
" We are facing a huge opportunity. Just a few months ago, it would have been absolutely unimaginable that such an option would even be an option... But now we are looking for a successor to Lewis, and we are focusing on a very small number of drivers, and among them there is someone we particularly want: Max Verstappen, who we know will not rush into his decision. What happened is done, digested, and closed. We have always respected each other; we have similar values and views. And when I look back on the ominous year of 2021, I can say that I, too, made mistakes. I should have done many things differently, not just on the final lap of the last competition, but long before that. But Max, Jos, and I have since discussed and clarified this ," said Toto Wolff. The story smells a bit like sunflower seeds...
