Kimi Antonelli-George Russell: Nico Rosberg is ruthless with Toto Wolff

Discussions continue at Mercedes following last weekend’s race in Barcelona, which saw Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton finish ahead of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli retire. Former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has openly criticized Toto Wolff for his race management.

“Mercedes paid too much attention to George; they protected him too much. As soon as the team risks losing the victory, they should race together for the team’s success. And Mercedes should have done that sooner: Antonelli was once again the fastest,” Rosberg told the German magazine Motorsport Aktuell. “Russell competes with the best in qualifying, but something is missing in the race,” Rosberg continued.

Over the past weekend, Toto Wolff revealed that Russell and Antonelli’s contracts do not include the clause that Hamilton and Rosberg had in the past—namely, to pay 50% of the damage to the car if they made contact during the race. Rosberg teased him, saying, “You’ve gone soft.”

But things are about to change: Wolff’s statements seem to draw a clear line between the present and the past. “Here in Barcelona, we may have lost the race because we didn’t want to issue a team order. It’s an issue we’ll have to address,” admitted the Austrian manager. These words suggest that, starting with the Austrian Grand Prix, scheduled for the weekend of June 27–28, the two Mercedes drivers may no longer have the freedom to battle it out freely on the track. A shift that seems inevitable with Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton in top form.