Mercedes boss Toto Wolff's brilliant response to Lewis Hamilton's misery

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff allegedly silenced a troll by pointing his middle finger at him as he drove past in his car. The troll had apparently targeted the 50-year-old for his reaction to the controversy surrounding last season's final Grand Prix, where Red Bull ace Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton for the F1 title. p>

Hamilton looked set to win a record eighth F1 championship in December as he led the season-defining Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with just a few laps to go. But following an accident by Williams' Nicholas Latifi, a safety car was called to the track and the race was halted.

Verstappen took advantage of the pit stop to change his tyres, with Hamilton unable to do the same without losing track position. But remarkably, before the restart, race director Michael Masi allowed the cars that had come between the title contenders to get out of the way. And the Dutch driver was allowed to level Hamilton for a one-lap shootout.

Verstappen took full advantage of his fresh rubber as he quickly passed the Briton to cross the checkered line in first place and get his hands on F1 silverware for the first time.

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Wolff was clearly outraged by Masi's decision at the time and was heard on the radio yelling, "No Mikey. No, no Mikey - that was so wrong. And the line has become iconic in some F1 circles. Earlier this week, a troll ran into Wolff and shouted the same phrase at him, according to Reuters. And Wolff responded by flipping the birdie through his car window with a smile on his face.

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Wolff was clearly angry that Hamilton had been denied another championship win at the time. And he clearly doesn't appreciate those who make fun of his misery.

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Earlier this year, Verstappen himself poked fun at Wolff using the same phrase after one of his teammates was kicked out of a virtual endurance race by a competitor. "So instead of losing the spot, he just pushes you out of the way," the 24-year-old said. “I will report it to Michael Masi. No, Mikey. No."

Wolff's desperation has intensified this season after teams have been forced to redesign their cars following a series of regulatory changes. Mercedes duo Hamilton and George Russell have had serious porpoising issues this year and are sixth and fourth in the standings, respectively. Verstappen, meanwhile, has stormed to the top of the Drivers' Championship standings and looks all but certain to win the title again.