Toto Wolff hits back at “brainless” George Russell conspiracy theory

Mercedes Formula 1 team principal Toto Wolff says people who suggest Kimi Antonelli is being favoured over George Russell are “brainless” and should stick to ‘watching Teletubbies’.

Conspiracy theories stemmed from Russell’s engine failure in Malaysia, which forced the Briton into an early power unit change and grid penalty, as it was previously hoped he would benefit from the ADUO upgrade later this month.

Because he is taking a penalty anyway, Russell is running Mercedes’ older aerodynamic package at the Singapore Grand Prix. The 28-year-old himself suggested it might be worth reverting to the previous version, which he won with in Baku before revised floor and sidepods were introduced at Sepang, where Red Bull prevailed for the first time this season. Antonelli is keeping those new parts this weekend.
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On top of this, Wolff’s unblinking facial expression during his brief appearance on screen as Russell retired from the Malaysian race only fuelled the theories further.

However, when the topic was brought up to the Austrian in Friday’s press conference in Singapore and he was asked what to say to those who speculate, he retorted: “They’re brainless, whoever thinks that. I mean, it’s completely nonsensical. We’ve had it in the past with Lewis [Hamilton] fans.

“I don’t know what’s going on! Do they think I have a button and that says ‘George engine failure now’? Or disadvantaging one driver against the other when we’re fighting for a constructors’ championship. We’ve always had the mindset of providing everybody equal material.

George Russell, Mercedes

“But I guess this is maybe where social media goes today. People hide behind their screens, and then they lash out. There’s a lot of polarisation going on and sometimes I read what people write. I find it hilarious. These people really contribute to my own entertainment when they’re abusing the team or myself. I’m Satan, I’ve heard. So yeah, overall, funny.”

Wolff added: “Really, zero understanding and respect for people who come up with these things. Rather than watching Formula 1, they should do Teletubbies or, I don’t know, some Mickey Mouses.”

Still, Antonelli’s advantage in the lead of the championship is larger than ever before, with Russell’s 84 points in arrears, and one reporter remarked teams are thought to naturally gravitate towards the driver delivering results. Wolff was therefore asked how much he has strived to nurse Russell’s morale in that context.

“I’ve always tried, since I came into Formula 1, even in my Williams days, to be the most balanced and most transparent with the drivers,” he replied.

“I have told this story before, I remember being a complete rookie and running into Alain Prost on the grid of a race, and I said, ‘Just out of interest, why did it go so wrong between you and Senna?’ And he said, ‘Because we never knew what the team was about’. You felt that you were the flavour of the month at one time, and then two months later, you thought the politics were going against you. There were different situations where you had the feeling that you’re really not wanted.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, Mercedes, Toto Wolff, Mercedes

“So I took it as my challenge to keep it always balanced. And it was not easy with Lewis and Nico [Rosberg] back in the day. And that’s why people can think what they want, but the integrity in that respect is something that’s important for me, and the drivers know it.”

Wolff also pointed out both his drivers are products from Mercedes’ young-driver programme, which each of them joined nearly a decade ago.

“We have had Kimi since he was 11,” he continued. “He’s an integral part of the team. It is very nice to see him grow, be in a position now that he’s fighting for a championship at such a young age, the talent he has.

“And then on the other side, George, who’s been with us since he was 17 – someone that I feel a lot of emotions for, and compassion. We are very close. We’re spending time with [Russell’s fiancee] Carmen and [Wolff’s wife] Susie off the track with each other.

“If people would see that we’re travelling together, we’re having coffee in the same coffee shop, we’re going to the gym… That’s why it’s pretty annoying to have some lunatics that have no understanding really about how relationships work, coming up with this kind of accusations.

“So I don’t pay any attention to this. Most important is that George knows how the team is, and Kimi knows, and we will always try to give them equal opportunity.

“And when it comes to the upgrade, it’s a good example. We don’t know which one is going to be quicker. And so you take a decision and say, ‘Let’s try to find out’, and there is no political thinking behind it.

“Even if now it’s more realistic for Kimi to win a championship in sheer mathematical probability, we would still give George the same opportunities. And that’s important, that’s the ethos and the integrity on which the team has operated since 2013, since I came. And we are going to stick to that. And then people can think what they want.”

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