Mercedes boss Toto Wolff defends ordering Russell to give up 2nd place to Antonelli
- On Sunday, George Russell supported Mercedes' decision to issue team orders at the Dutch Grand Prix, allowing championship leader Kimi Antonelli to pass him for second place late in the race.
- Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff defended the decision, explaining the team needed to secure their podium position against two charging Ferrari cars after Antonelli pitted for fresh tires during a virtual safety car period.
- Russell initially questioned the radio instruction to "invert" the cars but later acknowledged that Antonelli possessed a significant pace advantage on fresher soft tires that would have overtaken anyway.
- Antonelli finished second behind McLaren's Lando Norris, with Russell taking third for a double podium; the Italian driver now leads by 59 points over his teammate and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.
- Mercedes rules prohibit fighting when drivers are on different strategies, with Russell stating, "We've always said as a team when we're on different strategies we're never going to fight, and we're always going to do what's better.
58 Articles
58 Articles
Toto Wolff Defends Mercedes Team Orders After Russell’s Grumble At Zandvoort
[Image: Wiki Commons] Lando Norris didn’t need any help from team orders to win the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, but Mercedes, on the other hand, decided theirs needed a little bit of a nudge. The Zandvoort weekend delivered its usual chaos early. Rain in the build up left the grid guessing about tyre choice up to the last minute, and the race barely survived one lap before Max Verstappen ran his Red Bull into the wall at the final corner, forcin…
Toto Wolff makes feelings clear after George Russell and Kimi Antonelli controversy at Dutch Grand Prix
Toto Wolff has defended Mercedes' controversial decision to order George Russell aside for Kimi Antonelli at the Dutch Grand Prix, insisting there was nothing difficult about making the call.Russell was instructed to surrender second place to his team-mate during the closing stages at Zandvoort, despite the move potentially putting his own podium finish at risk.Antonelli had been running behind race winner Lando Norris when Mercedes took advanta…
Dutch GP — Mercedes boss Wolff defends decision to ask Russell to make way for Antonelli
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff defended the use of team orders in the Formula 1 title fight after George Russell protested when he was asked to give up second place in the Dutch Grand Prix to teammate Kimi Antonelli.
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