Wolff Slams 'Brainless' Critics; Mercedes Splits Cars — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Toto Wolff called accusations that Mercedes favors Kimi Antonelli over George Russell "brainless" and "completely nonsensical," quipping that critics seem to think he has a button that triggers Russell's engine failures.
- George Russell trails teammate Kimi Antonelli by 86 points in the championship after an engine failure while running third at the Bahrain Grand Prix ended his title bid; he will start Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix from the back due to a grid penalty for exceeding engine parts.
- Mercedes will split car specifications at Marina Bay, giving Russell the previous-spec car and Antonelli the new upgrade after the package introduced at the Malaysian GP failed to provide the expected performance step.
- Wolff called the Malaysian upgrade Mercedes' first significant design change since June, saying its outcome carries direct ramifications for the team's 2027 car, to which Mercedes has steered months of development work.
- Wolff emphasized his and wife Susie's close personal ties with both drivers — Antonelli has been with Mercedes since age 11, Russell since 17 — saying the families regularly travel, share coffee shops and visit the gym together.
Why it matters: With Russell 86 points behind in the standings, Mercedes split its Singapore car specifications after the Malaysian upgrade underperformed, treating the two cars as competing data points. Wolff said the result carries direct ramifications for the team's 2027 car — a direction Mercedes has poured months of development into, signaling the squad has already pivoted its focus from this season to the next regulation cycle.
Ask SkimNews
