Toto Wolff: Max Verstappen is 'driving circles' around other F1 drivers

According to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, Max Verstappen has earned the right to be a bit cheeky, given his dominant performances in Formula 1.

After his commanding victory in the Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen playfully joked with his Red Bull team about making an extra pit stop just to give his mechanics some practice.

Christian Horner, the Red Bull team boss, revealed that they turned down Verstappen's request due to the potential risks involved, as it could have resulted in a mistake and left the team embarrassed.

While some interpreted Verstappen's comments as a sign of cockiness, Wolff sees it differently.

Despite winning nine out of the twelve races this season, Verstappen's attitude is not seen as overly bold or brazen by his rivals at Mercedes.

Given his remarkable level of dominance, his lighthearted banter is taken in stride and adds to the competitive spirit in the world of Formula 1.

"He has all the reasons to be a bit cheeky," said Wolff.

"He's just driving circles around everybody else on merit, and there's nothing else to say about that. You've got to watch that on one hand, as much as it is annoying.

"You just need to take Max out of the equation. The second Red Bull is where we are.

"It would have been a fantastic season and close racing [without Verstappen] but the stopwatch never lies. There is just one guy and one car that is above everything else, and we've just got to catch up. There is no choice."