Mercedes Workforce Principal Toto Wolff clapped again at followers’ conspiracy theories that the workforce is favouring Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s marketing campaign to the purpose of sabotage.
Antonelli has had an unimaginable 2026 season; in simply his second yr of F1, the Italian teenager has taken a commanding Championship lead. He presently holds an 84-point hole to his nearest competitor – teammate George Russell.
Nonetheless, his climb to the entrance has cut up the Mercedes fanbase. Whereas Antonelli has gained races all through the season with little or no misfortune, Russell has had a really totally different yr.
The Briton entered the brand new rules with excessive hopes, having joined Mercedes for the 2022 rules and stayed because the workforce navigated the downforce period’s difficulties.
With the 2026 rules, fortunes shifted at Mercedes, with a loophole within the compression ratio giving them a monitor benefit. Russell appeared to be the plain championship contender, successful the opening spherical of the season earlier than his problem fell aside.
In Sepang, Russell suffered his third DNF of the season. Nonetheless, it wasn’t his first reliability concern, and Mercedes’ issues price him numerous factors. Antonelli hasn’t escaped reliability points, however he’s had the extra lucky facet of the storage.
This has led many followers to theorise that the workforce are favouring Antonelli, and a few go as far as to say Mercedes are actively hindering Russell to present Antonlii the benefit.
When these theories had been introduced as much as Wolff, he advised the media forward of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix that these espousing them had been ‘brainless’.
“They’re brainless, whoever thinks that. I imply, it’s utterly nonsensical,” he mentioned. “We’ve had it up to now with Lewis followers. I imply, actually, I don’t know what’s happening.
“Do they suppose I’ve a button that claims, ‘George engine failure now’, or that we’re disadvantaging one driver towards the opposite after we are preventing for a Constructors’ Championship, when we’ve all the time had the mindset of offering everyone equal materials?”
Toto Wolff tells theorists to ‘watch Teletubbies’
Wolff then went on to brush off the claims as individuals ‘lashing’ out behind their screens. Admitting that it’s a big a part of the web these days.
“However I suppose that is perhaps the place social media goes at this time. Folks disguise behind their screens, after which they lash out.” He mentioned.
“There’s numerous polarisation happening, and generally I learn what individuals write. I discover it hilarious. These individuals actually contribute to my very own leisure when they’re abusing the workforce or me. I’m Devil, I’ve heard. So, yeah, total humorous.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown interjected to Wolff that he wanted ‘Silver Arrows guidelines’, referencing its controversial Papaya Guidelines plan. Wolff laughed and joked again: “You might have the unique rights to fruits, Papaya Guidelines, so we have to give you one thing higher.”
He lastly quipped that the individuals who imagine Mercedes would sabotage one facet of the storage to learn the opposite are higher suited to observe ‘Teletubbies ‘ or Mickey Mouse.
“However actually, zero understanding and respect for individuals who give you this stuff. They need to, slightly than watching System 1, watch Teletubbies or some Mickey Mouse.”
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