Taxi Driver Fumes with Frustration
Getting (Unjustly) Hit With the "Angry Rome Taxi Driver" Label
Here's a stir in Italy causing quite a ruckus – taxi drivers taking offense to a comparison linking their everyday driving to that of F1 world champion Max Verstappen. The offender? None other than Mercedes team boss, Toto Wolff, who made the comment following Verstappen's crash during the Spanish Grand Prix.
Max's actions didn't sit well with spectators days after the race, especially amongst Rome's cabbies. This is where Wolff drew the correlation - he equated Verstappen's driving in Barcelona to that of an "angry taxi driver in Rome or Naples," where the roads lack order and there's plenty of aggression stirring the pot.
While Neapolitan taxi drivers might shrug off this comparison or let it slide, their Roman colleagues are taking a different tack. Rome is often considered a mixed bag, worse even than an F1 racetrack, according to Loreno Bittarelli, president of Rome's biggest taxi association. He made these remarks to "Corriere della Sera," insinuating Milan taxi drivers were better suited to handle the F1 track than their Roman counterparts.
False Stereotypes: Taxi Drivers Slam Wolff
Taxi drivers accuse Wolff of drawing "false stereotypes" about their driving skills. Nicola di Giacobbe from the union Filt-Cgil countered by stating that their driving is cautious, even slower than the struggling Mercedes team in some regards. Bittarelli suggested Wolff should focus more on his team's performance instead.
Verstappen and Sarcasm: A Mistake Admired
Wolff's Italy comparison likely derived from a TV interview following the Barcelona race, where Verstappen was questioned about his action that earned a penalty. Instead of letting George Russell pass to avoid a penalty, Verstappen Rammed him, leading to a 10-second penalty and three penalty points. This outburst is believed to have resulted from the frustration of potentially missing out on a fifth world title early on.
At first, Verstappen appeared unbothered by Russell's criticism of his move, responding "I'll bring him some tissues next time." Russell had previously expressed concern, stating "We're risking our lives," but Verstappen later acknowledged his wrongdoing, taking to Instagram to admit his misstep and express regret for his actions on the track.
- Formula 1
- Max Verstappen
- Rome
- Taxi Industry
- The taxi industry in Rome is vehemently contesting a comment made by Toto Wolff, the team boss of Mercedes, who compared Max Verstappen's style of driving to that of a Roman taxi driver, as part of the community policy on false stereotypes and general-news.
- Vocational training could be beneficial for Toto Wolff, as his focus on Formula 1 competition seems to have overshadowed the importance of carefully scrutinizing his words when discussing the driving skills of Rome's taxi drivers, in the context of crime-and-justice and sports.
