Toto Wolff claims Mercedes could have looked idiots ‘like Ferrari’

Toto Wolff bluntly stated that Mercedes could have “looked like idiots like the Ferraris” after a late-Italian GP battle between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

Antonelli escaped a trip into the gravel to attack again, and pass, the sister Mercedes to take a sensational win on home soil. Wolff also took aim at a “complete bullsh*t” narrative peddled by “couch warriors” that Russell was compromised by his team.

Toto Wolff: Mercedes could have looked ‘idiots like the Ferraris’

Carrying a back-of-the-grid engine penalty, Antonelli carved up through the order at a rapid rate. It meant the championship leader joined his teammate Russell in a battle for the win.

Antonelli eventually came out on top, sending the tifosi home delighted after a highly disappointing race for its beloved home heroes Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton ended up dipping into the gravel after attacking teammate Charles Leclerc at the start. Leclerc then crashed out at the Parabolica at the end of Lap 2.

However, with Antonelli and Russell also involved in a dicey moment during that victory battle, Wolff admitted that Mercedes could have ended up in the “idiots” boat alongside Ferrari.

Antonelli went through the gravel upon exiting the opening chicane, after his first attack on Russell for the win.

“I can express my opinion now and say, well, this is not on to push your teammate off in Turn 2,” Wolff told Sky F1.

“But three or four laps to the end, we had some scary moments between the two of them that we didn’t expect in that way, because George had a tyre that was shot, and Kimi was a second quicker.

“Did we expect them to fight like they did, which could have ended up in a car in the gravel… So we could have quickly looked like idiots as well, like the Ferraris looked eventually.

“So it’s a fine margin.”

While Russell was ahead on the road, it was Antonelli who pitted for fresh medium tyres under a late Virtual Safety Car.

Russell was quick to defend Mercedes post-race, saying splitting strategies was the best solution. It did not stop unfounded conspiracy theories surfacing online, as Antonelli extended his championship lead over Russell to 66 points.

Wolff had a firm response to such theories.

“It is absolutely the right thing we did,” Wolff declared. “He was on a hard. It was predicted to be a one-stop as the better strategy. The medium was a compromise. We had to put the medium on Kimi because he started on the hard.

“There is just no way, and obviously, there are some couch warriors that will drop their comments after having watched some other material online, that are saying that he was penalised. It’s complete bulls**t.”

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Monza felt like a potentially critical event in the title race. Wolff was asked about the internal reaction on the Antonelli and Russell sides to that result.

“That’s been part of our role in the last 12 years to manage both sides of the garage well,” said Wolff. “Because if you’re in a title fight, one is always going to be disappointed after the race, and the other one is going to be happy.

“I think as long as you’re transparent and there is no hidden agenda or favouritism, then it’s the best way to manage it.

“But it doesn’t mean that we are not making some harsh calls. We’re having this stern talk in the Sunday morning. What are the various situations we are facing.

“Behind some pressure from another team and the driver, there’s one of our drivers behind the other one and is too slow, we’re going to invert the cars when it’s needed. It’s the decisions that you need to take sometimes.

“In either direction, by the way, whoever’s in front, the decisions you need to take in order to win a championship. But it’s always got to be balanced.”

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