You won’t believe the question Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff dropped on reserve driver Frederik Vesti during the Canadian Grand Prix. With Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell going absolutely full-tilt against each other, Wolff apparently asked if they should “invert the cars.” Yeah, you read that right. Invert. The. Cars. This came to light on the “nu podcast,” where Vesti, alongside Anthony Davidson and Andrew Shovlin, peeled back the curtain on how chaotic things get inside the Mercedes F1 operation during a race weekend.
Inside Mercedes F1: The Wild Radio Channel Nobody Knew About
Vesti’s reveal is wild because it shows how deep he’s in the mix. He’s often seen right by Wolff on the world feed, with deputy Bradley Lord on the other side. Turns out, there’s a special radio channel just for a select few. Vesti confirmed it’s him, Wolff, technical director James Allison, and Lord. This isn’t just a casual chat line, though. Vesti highlighted how emotional Wolff gets, especially when Antonelli and Russell are duking it out on track, which has happened multiple times this year. As Vesti put it, “seeing two Mercedes cars battle like that is great for the sport. It’s not great for Toto’s and everyone else’s heart rate, I think.” In those tense moments, Vesti’s job is to give Wolff a driver’s perspective on racing questions, adding crucial value to the decision making.
Why Wolff Needs a Driver’s POV When Things Get Heated
Davidson on the podcast was straight-up surprised that Wolff would lean on a reserve driver for race perspective, but Vesti quickly explained why it makes so much sense. Being a race driver himself, he understands the on-track situations better than anyone from the pit wall. Plus, he spends a ton of time with Antonelli and Russell in the simulator, getting inside their heads, understanding their needs, and knowing their perspectives. Wolff doesn’t necessarily have that direct viewpoint, so he needs Vesti to relay that driver mindset during tense situations to help make better decisions. Vesti expanded on it, saying Wolff “particularly this year” relies on him to “help understand the choices they are making.” It’s a huge vote of confidence for the reserve driver.
This kind of wild question, born from the heat of battle, just shows how absolutely on edge the Mercedes garage gets when their guys go wheel to wheel. The intense back and forth between Antonelli and Russell in both the sprint and main race in Canada clearly pushed Wolff to the brink, reminding him of the legendary Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg battles of 2016. If Antonelli and Russell keep battling like that, you just know Toto is gonna be leaning hard on Vesti for every possible driver’s take. It’s gonna be a season to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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