POLE POSITION: Mercedes are in a state of meltdown, after pompous Toto Wolff lost his cool in Las Vegas over practice debacle question… while Sergio Perez will see out his Red Bull contract despite tough season

• Toto Wolff lost his cool over questioning in a press conference in Las Vegas 
• His PR man is demanding an apology before relations can be thawed
• Information must be on Mercedes’ terms and at a time of their choosing

If you hear noise emanating from the Mercedes hospitality area here in Abu Dhabi, it is the sound of feet being stamped.

The team who once dominated the sport with serene efficiency are now in a state of meltdown. The latest example of Toto Wolff’s thin skin came when he ordered his PR operative to ask me to leave their building ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s press conference.

My chief offence, it seems, was to have questioned Wolff in the press conference in Las Vegas last week when practice was delayed. Wolff was denying the obvious embarrassment this represented at the sport’s all-new showpiece event.

I challenged Wolff on this. He lost his cool. In a rant that on Thursday earned him a ‘formal warning’ from the stewards for bad language, he barked: ‘It’s completely ridiculous! Completely ridiculous! How can you even dare to talk back about an event that sets the new standards for everything?

‘And then you are speaking about a f****** drain that’s been undone (the root of the delay, which saw the practice finally end at 4am before empty grandstands). That’s happened before. That’s nothing, it’s FP1.

Toto Wolff ordered his PR operative to ask me to leave the building ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s press conference after questioning the Mercedes chief over delayed practice in Las Vegas

Wolff might have been further irked over Christian Horner recalling someone close to Lewis Hamilton had contacted him earlier in the year over a potential switch to Red Bull 

‘Give credit to the people that have set up this grand prix, that have made this sport much bigger than it ever was.’

The telling words, it strikes me, are: ‘How can you even dare.’ As if what Mr Wolff says is beyond dispute, any questioning voices an affront to his omnipotence.

He claimed, in his evidence to the stewards, that he was ‘provoked by an abrupt intervention’. The PR man is demanding an apology from me before relations can be thawed. Pompous doesn’t cover it.

But if they are into apologies, they may care to start with one to me for Wolff’s potty-mouthed rant at the very slimmest of provocations — though I’d happily just shake hands and move on.

I believe they were further irked by the story we ran on Thursday in which Christian Horner recalled someone close to Hamilton had contacted him earlier in the year with a tentative inquiry into whether there would be a seat available at the all-conquering Red Bull juggernaut.

That was at a time when Hamilton’s contract negotiations at Mercedes were dragging on. Was the contact made as a negotiating ploy in order to up his earning potential where he was? Or was he really keen on a move to Red Bull?

There was a time where Hamilton’s contract negotiations were dragging on, which raises the question of whether the contact made was a negotiating ploy to up his earning potential

Who knows, but in Wolff’s eyes I will have committed the cardinal sin of not sticking to a preordained script. Information must be on Mercedes’ terms and at a time of their choosing.

My guess is that Wolff, overlooked for the job he wanted running the sport for Liberty Media, is bored at Mercedes and lost in his attempts to turn around a team who are a shadow of their past glories (and without the freedom of the pre-budget cap days to throw cash at the problem).

It seems to be affecting his judgment and sense of proportion. I hope he returns to better spirits soon.

Schedule needs fixing 

It was a bleary-eyed tribe who touched down in Abu Dhabi, the final stop of 22 in this exhausting season.

A time difference of 12 hours from last weekend’s race in Las Vegas can only take a toll on the human body. The scheduling needs rejigging. 

The five North American races — Mexico, Austin, Miami, Vegas and Canada — should be taken in one or two swings rather than the whole tribe criss-crossing all over the world time and again. Tired drivers and banjaxed mechanics is a recipe for an accident, and right now everyone on the travelling caravan is close to the limit.

Abu Dhabi brings a time difference of 12 hours from last weekend’s race held in Las Vegas

Don’t bring Vegas glitz to Britain 

You could detect a collective sigh of relief among the sport’s top brass when the Las Vegas race revealed itself as a success after a few nervous moments in the days leading up to the main event. 

It was perhaps the most entertaining fare of the season, even if the name of the winner, Mr M Verstappen, was as predictable as possible. After paying £500million on choreographing the event, it was vindication for Liberty Media, the sport’s owners.

While hailing their initiative, a few pleas from the sidelines. The race had a Super Bowl-type hype to it, and rightly so it being Vegas, but one hopes Liberty do not make good on the promise they made when buying the sport in 2017 to turn every event into a Super Bowl.

What is good for Vegas and Miami isn’t what you want at Silverstone. The old World War Two airfield has its own character, as do all the great old tracks of Europe. They should nurture their individuality. I hope Liberty see the sense in that.

The British Grand Prix has its own character and one hopes Liberty does not turn every event into a Super Bowl – what is good for Vegas and Miami isn’t what you want at Silverstone

Vegas thoughts

A few other Vegas thoughts. Qualifying at midnight is absurd. It leaves organisers with no wriggle room if things go wrong, as they did in practice on Thursday night — a 4am finish is no time for sport.

It also struck me that while shots from above conveyed Las Vegas vibes, low shots of cars on track failed in this regard. It could have been Jeddah.

Perez to see out his contract 

Sergio Perez has sealed the second seat at Red Bull, I can reveal. Despite a few wobbles, the Mexican has won the approval of team principal Christian Horner. ‘It is 100 per cent Sergio’s seat,’ Horner confirmed.

That means Perez will see out his contract, which has a year to run. There is, therefore, no dream return to the top table for Daniel Ricciardo.

Sergio Perez will see out his Red Bull contract meaning no dream return for Daniel Ricciardo

Roulette table trip

I took one visit to the roulette table at the MGM Grand armed with 50 bucks. All on red. One spin of the wheel. Fifty bucks gone. I quit while I was down. 

Legendary car up for auction 

If you have spare change, you might care to bid for Mario Andretti’s championship-winning 1978 Lotus-Cosworth Ford John Player Special. It is a star turn at a Bonhams auction in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Estimated value $6.5million to $9.5m. But in some ways priceless.

Mario Andretti’s championship winning 1978 Lotus-Cosworth Ford is up for auction with an estimated value of between $6.5million to $9.5m

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