In brief
Wolff called the accusations "brainless" and "completely nonsensical" and said critics should watch Teletubbies or Mickey Mouse, referring to earlier criticism from Lewis Hamilton's fans.
An engine failure while running third at the Malaysian Grand Prix left Russell trailing Antonelli by 86 points according to BBC, or 84 points according to The Independent and n-tv, with seven rounds remaining.
Russell starts from the back of the grid at the Singapore Grand Prix because of a grid penalty for using too many engine parts.
Mercedes ran Antonelli's car with new upgrades and Russell's with the older set-up in Friday free practice, and Fanpage reports the upgrades were four or five tenths of a second slower at Sepang.
- Malaysian Grand Prix, last SundayRussell retires with an engine failure while running third
- Singapore, Friday free practiceRussell is fastest in the only free practice session, on the older set-up
- Singapore Grand Prix, SundayRussell starts from the back of the grid after a grid penalty
Wolff rejects the bias claims
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has hit back at social media accusations that the team favours Kimi Antonelli over George Russell, calling the claims "brainless" and "completely nonsensical" at the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday. Wolff asked whether critics really believed he had a button that says 'George engine failure now'. He said Mercedes had faced similar accusations from Lewis Hamilton's fans in the past. Wolff has led the team since 2013 and says he has always pursued equal treatment between its drivers.
“I don't know what is going on.”
Wolff suggested the critics should watch Teletubbies or Mickey Mouse instead of Formula One. He described the abuse aimed at the team and at himself as a source of entertainment and said he finds some of it hilarious. Asked about the accusations, he said he pays no attention to them and that what matters most is that George and Kimi both know how the team works.
Championship at stake
Russell's title hopes were all but extinguished by an engine failure at the Malaysian Grand Prix, where he was running third late in the race. Antonelli finished second behind race winner Max Verstappen and extended his lead. The gap is reported differently: BBC puts Russell 86 points behind Antonelli, while The Independent and n-tv cite an 84-point lead for Antonelli. The Independent says seven rounds of the championship remain. Russell will start from the back of the grid in Singapore because of a grid penalty for using too many engine parts. Antonelli is 20 and joined Mercedes' junior programme at 11, while Russell, 28, joined the team in 2017 and has been driving full-time in F1 since 2022.
Car setups under scrutiny
Speculation also centred on Mercedes running two cars with different configurations in Friday's free practice session. Antonelli's car carried the new upgrades, while Russell's ran the older set-up with which he had won in Baku. Fanpage reports that the upgrades made the cars four or five tenths of a second slower at Sepang. Wolff said Mercedes does not yet know which specification is faster, that it wants to find out, and that there is no political logic behind the choice. Russell was nonetheless the fastest driver in the only free practice session.
Personal ties
Wolff also described his relationship with both drivers. He called Antonelli an integral part of the team and said it is remarkable to watch him fight for a championship at such a young age. Of Russell, he said he feels a lot of emotion and compassion. Wolff said he and his wife Susie spend time off the track with Russell and his fiancee Carmen Montero Mundt, travelling together, having coffee in the same coffee shop and going to the gym together. He called the people making the accusations "lunatics" with no understanding of how relationships work.
“We are very close.”
The Singapore Grand Prix is the 17th round of the world championship and the race takes place on Sunday, with Russell starting from the back of the grid.