Max Verstappen mocks Toto Wolff with Michael Masi joke

Max Verstappen poked fun at the controversial end to the 2021 Formula 1 season with a joke at the expense of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to secure his maiden world title, afforded the opportunity by the intervention of race director Michael Masi.

Masi seemingly went against precedent to allow cars to unlap themselves and clear the way for the Dutchman’s final lap pass of Hamilton in the Mercedes, despite the protests of Wolff on race radio.

With the 2022 F1 season due to begin in March, Verstappen has been tuning up in the offseason by engaging in simulated racing for Team Redline.

After teammate Gianni Vecchio was run off the track during a virtual iRacing 24 Hours of Dayton event, Verstappen jokingly suggested he would report the incident to Masi, before impersonating Wolff’s pleading during the Abu Dhabi finale.

“So instead of giving up his position, he just shunts you out of the way,” Verstappen said of the actions of the car closest to Vecchio after the Italian crash.

“No worries - I’ll report it to Michael Masi.”

Mimicking Wolff directly during the final moments at the Yas Marina Circuit, Verstappen continued: “No Mikey! No!”

Hamilton is said to be weighing whether to return to the F1 grid in 2022 after being denied a record-breaking eighth Drivers’ Championship at the last.

The 37-year-old’s future supposedly hinges on the conclusions of an FIA investigation into events at the season-ending race in the United Arab Emirates.