Toto Wolff hits back at claims Mercedes favours Antonelli over Russell

[CMPunk_Mike]

Toto Wolff has strongly rejected claims that Mercedes favours Kimi Antonelli over George Russell. RacingNews365's Ian Parkes reports that Wolff called people making those claims lunatics. Antonelli leads Russell by 102 points in the drivers' championship, and that gap has fuelled online talk

Wolff insisted that both drivers are treated equally. He traced his approach back to a conversation with Alain Prost early in his career. Prost told him the breakdown of his relationship with Ayrton Senna came from McLaren's unclear direction and shifting favouritism

Wolff also called the Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg years, from 2013 to 2016, a hard test of that balance. Those seasons included plenty of tension, collisions and arguments, but Mercedes allowed both drivers to race. That experience shaped how he manages teammates now

He pointed out that Antonelli has been with Mercedes since he was eleven and Russell since he was seventeen. Wolff also described a close personal relationship with Russell, including training together. Clearly he wants to show there is no favouritism either way

A 102 point gap is large, but it reflects Antonelli's results rather than any team plot. Online conspiracy theories are common in F1 whenever one teammate is struggling. Wolff's strong words make it clear Mercedes is tired of hearing them

Do you believe Mercedes treats both drivers equally? And can Russell close the gap on Antonelli?

Toto Wolff slates 'lunatics' over bias claims in George Russell Kimi Antonelli F1 title fightracingnews365.com