No one is going to catch Verstappen this season, says Mercedes boss Toto Wolff

"No Formula One driver will be able to compete with Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen this year," declared Toto Wolff, team boss of Mercedes, the closest rivals to Red Bull last season. The statement came after Verstappen's dominant performance at the Japanese Grand Prix, where he finished almost 13 seconds ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez and a staggering 20 seconds ahead of the rest of the field at the Suzuka circuit.

Wolff's assessment was straightforward: "No one is going to catch Max this season. His driving and the car are just spectacular." He acknowledged the reality of the current championship landscape, noting, "Basically this season now is best of the rest ... hopefully we catch up to the McLaren and then the Ferraris and fight for P2. This is what it is this year."

Mercedes, despite boasting seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, faced a troubled start to the year, currently lying fourth in the constructor standings behind Ferrari and McLaren. Their performance at Suzuka reflected this struggle, with Hamilton finishing ninth and his teammate George Russell in seventh, both affected by a tyre strategy that backfired.

Despite signs of progress in understanding their car better, Wolff expressed little satisfaction, recognising that the title race seemed effectively over already. "If your expectation is to eventually race for wins and championships, then you can say we are in a bit of a no man's land," he added. "We are in this bunch but it is not satisfying ... If I was to look for a pure sporting point of view, it is P1 that matters, not P2 or P3 or P4."

In response to Wolff's remarks, Red Bull boss Christian Horner praised Verstappen's confident performance but cautioned against premature conclusions. "It’s very early to write off your year, there are still 20 races to go. I’ve learnt not to listen too much to what Toto has said over the years," Horner remarked, hinting at the unpredictable nature of Formula One and the potential for twists and turns throughout the season.