Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ team principal, has slammed Red Bull’s Helmut Marko’s accusation that Kimi Antonelli deliberately let Lando Norris pass him during the Qatar Grand Prix, calling it “total, utter nonsense” and “brainless”. The controversy arose after Antonelli made a mistake on the penultimate lap, allowing Norris to take fourth place and gain crucial championship points.
The incident has sparked a heated debate, with Red Bull’s Marko claiming Antonelli “waved” Norris by, while Wolff insists Antonelli simply made a mistake. Max Verstappen’s engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, initially suggested Antonelli let Norris through, but later apologized after speaking with Wolff.
Wolff expressed his frustration, stating, “We’re fighting for P2 in the championship, which is important for us. Kimi’s fighting for a potential P3. I mean, how brainless can you be to even say something like this?” He emphasized that Mercedes wouldn’t intentionally interfere with the driver championship, questioning, “Why would we do this? Why would we even think about interfering in a driver championship?”
Antonelli himself denied any wrongdoing, saying, “I was trying to do my race, I was trying to get the podium, I was pushing hard… and just lost the rear, and went off track.. that wasn’t on purpose, nothing to do about it”.
The drama has set the stage for a thrilling season finale in Abu Dhabi, with Norris leading Verstappen by 12 points and Oscar Piastri also in contention. Wolff’s strong reaction underscores the high stakes and intense competition in the championship battle.
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