Toto Wolff addresses claims Mercedes favours Kimi Antonelli over George Russell at Singapore Grand Prix
Formula 1 fans love a conspiracy theory almost as much as they love arguing about track limits and who should or should not have been handed a five-second penalty.
And with Kimi Antonelli sitting comfortably atop the 2026 Drivers’ Championship while Mercedes teammate George Russell has endured a rather more, um, character-building season, a familiar theory has been making the rounds online: Mercedes secretly wants one of its drivers to win more than the other.
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Specifically, some fans reckon the Silver Arrows have been giving Antonelli the silver spoon treatment.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has now offered his assessment of the favouritism theory: “It’s completely nonsensical.”
Some fans think Mercedes has been favouring Kimi Antonelli
Speculation about Mercedes favouring Antonelli has been circulating on social media throughout the season.
Back in June, fans on Reddit questioned why Mercedes had apparently left Russell out of a race recap despite him securing a podium finish in his 100th race with the team.
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Others wondered whether Wolff simply had a soft spot for Antonelli.
One even likened his perceived treatment of the two drivers to the famous Gordon Ramsay meme, where the chef gently encourages one person but berates another with a rather less affectionate “you donkey”.
Source: r/F1Discussions on Reddit
Suspicions grew after September’s Italian Grand Prix, when Mercedes pitted Antonelli for fresh tyres during a Virtual Safety Car but left Russell out on older ones.
The Italian driver went on to win his home Grand Prix, prompting further accusations of favouritism.
However, Russell himself defended the decision, saying it made sense for Mercedes to split their strategies.
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Russell’s run of bad luck hasn’t helped matters either. Most recently, a power unit failure forced him to retire from the Bahrain Grand Prix, held in Malaysia, while running third, allowing Antonelli to extend his championship lead to 84 points ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.
His misfortunes continued at the Singapore Grand Prix weekend on Saturday (10 Oct), when he crashed out of the Sprint race after taking the lead from Max Verstappen.
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Russell later admitted that he had made a “very silly mistake” after touching a slippery white line, which sent his car spinning into the barriers.
Meanwhile, Antonelli finished fourth in the Sprint race, extending his lead to 89 points ahead of Sunday’s main event.
Toto Wolff calls favouritism accusations ‘brainless’
But speaking at the Team Principals’ Press Conference alongside Racing Bulls’ Alan Permane and McLaren’s Zak Brown ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday (9 Oct), Wolff had little patience for the gossip.
Source: Joseph Portlock for Getty Images
“They’re brainless, whoever thinks that,” he said bluntly when asked about the speculation.
Calling the accusations “completely nonsensical”, Wolff pointed out how absurd it would be for Mercedes to deliberately sabotage one of its own drivers while fighting for the Constructors’ Championship.
“Do they think I have a button that says ‘George engine failure now’?” he quipped.
Source: Joseph Portlock for Getty Images
Wolff also blamed social media for fuelling the speculation, suggesting that people hiding behind their screens were becoming increasingly comfortable lashing out at the team.
And he had some choice words for those spreading the accusations: “[I have] zero understanding and respect for people who come up with these things. Rather than watching Formula 1, they should do Teletubbies or some Mickey Mouse.”
Despite his frustration, Wolff admitted to finding some of the online chatter rather entertaining.
“These people really contribute to my own entertainment when they’re abusing the team or myself. I’m Satan, I’ve heard!” he laughed.
Wolff insists both drivers will continue receiving equal treatment
Wolff also recalled a conversation with four-time world champion Alain Prost about his infamous rivalry with Ayrton Senna during their time at McLaren.
Prost had reportedly felt that the team and engine supplier Honda were favouring Senna, with uncertainty over the team’s loyalties adding to tensions between the two drivers.
Wolff said the conversation shaped his own approach to managing drivers, emphasising fairness and transparency to ensure neither feels disadvantaged.
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As for the current Mercedes pairing, Wolff emphasised that he shares a close relationship with both drivers.
Antonelli has been part of the Mercedes setup since he was 11, while Russell joined the team’s junior programme at 17.
Wolff added that he and Russell regularly spend time together away from the racetrack, including travelling, having coffee, and going to the gym.
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He also addressed questions about Mercedes’ upgrades, explaining that giving drivers different specifications is sometimes necessary to determine which performs better, rather than evidence of preferential treatment.
And although Antonelli has a considerably stronger shot at this year’s Drivers’ Championship, Wolff insisted that Russell would not be relegated to second-driver status.
Even if it is now that it’s more realistic for Kimi to win a championship in sheer mathematical probability, we would still give George the same opportunities.
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S’porean artist gifts custom wooden ‘helmets’ to F1 drivers, thanks them for entertaining fans
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Featured image courtesy of Joseph Portlock for Getty Images and Getty Images.
