Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff unpacked how he is dealing with the feisty championship rivalry between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
If the Canadian Grand Prix was anything to go by, then F1 fans have a lot to look forward to in the championship fight between the two Mercedes drivers, who for 30 laps of the race were in a close battle for the lead.
Saturday’s sprint also teased contact between the pair, with Antonelli’s tempers igniting over team radio over a minor collision with Russell, where he cried: “That was very naughty…He pushed me off!”
The Italian’s fury even forced team principal Wolff to intervene and instructed the young driver to focus on driving, keen to make sure any dispute was handled behind closed doors.
On Sunday, this rivalry threatened to overspill once more, until lap 30 where Russell was forced to retire due to a battery failure, which allowed Antonelli to scamper off into the lead and win the Canadian Grand Prix.
How Wolff is managing Mercedes title fight
The Canadian Grand Prix was labelled a must-win event for Russell, who himself ran a perfect weekend where he claimed pole position for both the sprint, the grand prix and won Saturday’s race
Now, he finds himself 43 points behind Antonelli and decreed the championship the Italian’s to lose, but the British driver is unlikely to go down without a fight in the next 17 races.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 over the weekend, Wolff was asked about his management of Antonelli’s temper during Saturday’s sprint, to which he outlined how he intends to deal with his drivers’ rivalry.
“Yeah, but it’s also an easy one. As I said, with the two of them, it’s valid for George, and it was equally valid for Lewis back in the day when Lewis went on a rant,” Wolff explained.
“I stopped it. I remember in Austria, I said: ‘Just drive the car, stop complaining.’
“And particularly here, say it once, vent it. We’re the bin for your emotions, so that’s okay. Don’t be rude, don’t insult, but don’t keep going on on this, because then you’re wasting my time because all the interviews I need to do are about whether we have a Star Wars here or whether the rivalry is getting out of control.
“So, yeah, feel free for emotions. We don’t expect a puppy in the car. We want a lion in the car. But we’ve heard it when it’s said once.”
