Angry Taxi Drivers Hit Back At Mercedes’ Toto Wolff

2025 Spanish Grand Prix, Sunday - Toto Wolff (image courtesy Mercedes)
2025 Spanish Grand Prix, Sunday - Toto Wolff (image courtesy Mercedes)
2025 Spanish Grand Prix, Sunday - Toto Wolff (image courtesy Mercedes)
2025 Spanish Grand Prix, Sunday - Toto Wolff (image courtesy Mercedes)

Italian taxi drivers have amusingly returned fire at Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

When asked to comment on Max Verstappen’s move on George Russell in Barcelona, which Lando Norris said reminded him of Mario Kart, Wolff told Sky Italia: “It was like certain taxi drivers in Rome or Naples, who go crazy in traffic.”

Demonstrating that no quip in the Formula 1 world goes unnoticed, the comment has drawn sharp criticism from none other than the aforementioned taxi drivers.

“We’re better than the Formula 1 drivers, who wouldn’t even survive an hour in Rome’s city traffic,” said Loreno Bittarelli, president of the Roman taxi association Cooperativa Radiotaxi 3570.

He continued to Corriere della Sera: “We drive between construction sites, motorcycles, e-scooters, tourist buses. Rome is a jungle – much worse than a Formula 1 track.”

Some may suspect his comments are tongue-in-cheek, but Bittarelli insists Wolff should be careful with “false stereotypes”.

“We’re the first ones who don’t want to have accidents, because otherwise we’d lose the day’s work,” he said.

The Roman Taxi Union’s view was echoed by Filt-Cgil, the Italian Federation of Transport Workers. “We drive as slowly as Mercedes here in Rome,” joked boss Nicola di Giacobbe.

From F1 news to tech, history to opinions, F1 Chronicle has a free Substack. To deliver the stories you want straight to your inbox, click here.

New to Formula 1? Check out our Glossary of F1 Terms, and our Beginners Guide to Formula 1 to fast-track your F1 knowledge.

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

More in News

Was Crashgate A Real Thing? - Piquet Never Intended To 'Harm' Massa

Briatore ‘Never Spoke’ With Piquet About Crashgate

Flavio Briatore has reiterated his innocence some decade and a ...
F1 Grand Prix Of Abu Dhabi Practice

Verstappen Deserved FIA’s Spanish GP Slap – Marko

Dr Helmut Marko says Max Verstappen deserved to be penalised ...
Oracle Red Bull Racing Filming Day

Russell Collision ‘Shouldn’t Have Happened’ Says Verstappen

Max Verstappen has taken to social media to address his ...
2025 Spanish Grand Prix 0 George Russell (image courtesy Mercedes)

Russell Suggests Verstappen’s Move In Spanish GP Clash Was ‘Deliberate’

In the aftermath of the Spanish Grand Prix, George Russell ...
F1 Grand Prix Of Spain

Oscar Piastri Extends Championship Lead On A Perfect Weekend For McLaren

Oscar Piastri won the Spanish Grand Prix to round off ...

Trending on F1 Chronicle