After the intense battle for the lead at the Canadian GP, Toto Wolff stated that Mercedes may adopt stricter measures if the rivalry between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell starts to threaten the team’s results in Formula 1.
Read more F1: Aston Martin unveils special livery for Monaco GP
In the Canada sprint race, Antonelli complained about a defense by Russell at Turn 1, which pushed him onto the grass. The incident led Wolff to intervene over the radio and ask the Italian to calm down. In the GP, a new battle between the teammates ended with Russell’s engine failure, paving the way for Antonelli’s fourth consecutive win, extending his championship lead to 43 points.
Wolff highlighted the importance of the messages sent to the drivers by engineers Peter Bonnington and Marcus Dudley: “We want to look at the footage and make them come to the right conclusions, like: ‘Do you think that was the level of racing you consider correct? If so, why?’”
“Let’s say why we think one or two situations could have been avoided and what they want to do to minimize that, but certainly, the fight is more intense than ever.”
Read more F2: Check the schedule and where to watch the Monaco stage on TV and streaming
The team principal also explained the meaning of the radio warnings. “When we ask them to calm down, it doesn’t mean you should stop racing; actually, you allow the battle, but you’re saying: ‘You are under observation,’ and we had some situations that could have ended in retirement.”
Despite the intensity of the battle, Wolff believes the two are behaving like drivers fighting for a championship: “When you listen to the radio communications, there is room for improvement, but in terms of putting your heart on the glove, it’s right. How can I say: ‘Focus on driving?’ That is important, but aside from that, they behaved like racing drivers competing for a championship, so I couldn’t see fault in that.”
Read more F1: After renewing with Ferrari, Leclerc makes a promise for the team’s future
