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Toto Wolff praised his competitor. Openly. "Fred is one of the best team bosses I know... If I wasn't at Mercedes, I'd take Fred." Why does the Mercedes boss defend Frédéric Vasseur so loudly?
The mystery of praise
In F1 you don't praise rivals without reason. Every public statement by a team boss is political. Wolff's defense comes at a moment when Vasseur is reportedly under immense pressure at Ferrari.
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He explicitly acknowledges that pressure. Compares intense Italian media attention to "managing the national football team." That's not a compliment. That's a warning.
Wolff warns Ferrari: you "won't get better" than Vasseur. Sounds like support. But what if it's something else?
Why Wolff's praise is suspicious:
● Comes during intense Ferrari internal pressure
● Emphasizes precisely that Vasseur needs defense
● Spotlight on Ferrari's "revolving door culture"
● Implicit comparison with Mercedes stability
● Message to F1 ecosystem: we are stable ship
● Stirring unrest among Ferrari personnel possible effect
The Jean Todt example
Wolff uses Jean Todt's long lead-up period at Ferrari in the '90s as example. Pleads for patience and stability. Sounds noble.
But it implicitly contrasts Ferrari's alleged impatience with his own long tenure. With Mercedes stability. That's the real message.
Not: "Support Fred." But: "We at Mercedes understand that success needs time. Ferrari doesn't."
The underlying rivalry
Despite the praise, rivalry remains very much alive. Vasseur pushed back against Wolff's claim that McLaren "humiliated" other teams, including Ferrari.
Their relationship is complex. Not purely friendly. There's probably genuine personal respect. But in F1 every public statement is also strategic.
By defending Vasseur, Wolff emphasizes precisely that he needs defense. Shines fierce spotlight on internal pressure. Can have unsettling effect on Ferrari personnel and partners.
4D chess in the paddock
This is part of long-term war for talent and reputation. Wolff positions himself as statesman. Mercedes as bastion of stability.
Ferrari as stormy sea where team bosses don't survive. Subtle undermining packaged as friendly concern.
It reinforces idea that success requires time and trust. That high-pressure environment of Ferrari is incompatible with sustainable success. Message to future top engineers and drivers: come to us, not to them.
Wolff's defense of Vasseur is masterfully played political theater. It's simultaneously friendship AND weapon. Support AND sabotage. That's 4D chess in the F1 paddock.
And behind those interviews lies much more than simple soundbites.
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