Toto Wolff has responded extensively to the battle between George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli during the sprint race in Canada. The Austrian says he understands why both Mercedes drivers fought so fiercely against each other, but afterwards he made agreements with them about the further way of racing between the two. Then Wolff draws the comparison with Max Verstappen: ‘Would Max have left space there? No’.
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Mercedes drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli provided the most spectacle on Saturday in Montreal, when the two fought for victory during the sprint race. The young Italian driver went off track a few times and later said that his teammate pushed him off the track. The battle was reminiscent of the days of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, when the so-called Silver War broke out in the fight for the title.
Team boss Toto Wolff called the two drivers together after the Canadian sprint. “It was very simple,” the Austrian begins to Sky Sports. “We called them together and asked: ‘How do we want to race from now on? Do we race against the other car as if it is a random third car – which I can go along with just fine – and do you leave no space? Or do you want to leave space?’”
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Wolff says he understands why his drivers fought so hard against each other. “In principle, of course, you race to win,” he continues. “We agreed that we trust them. They know how to push, but expect that neither will leave space for the other, because it is simply too important for that.”
‘Max would not have left space there either’
The Austrian team boss even draws the comparison with Max Verstappen. “The battle between George and Kimi started even before turn 1. I think it already started on the straight, when braking for the last chicane, where George left little space,” says Wolff, who then wonders: “Would Max have left space there? No. Would Max have opened the door or left enough space in turn 1? He would not have done that. So: how do we want to handle this between teammates? And I think it is important that they decide how they want to race against each other, and then deal with the outcome.”
Read everything about the GP Canada here
