Wolff rejects suggestions Mercedes favoured Antonelli over Russell

At Friday’s Singapore Grand Prix press conference, Toto Wolff rejected suggestions Mercedes had favoured Kimi Antonelli over George Russell at times this year, dismissing the speculation as completely nonsensical.

Wolff said he had always aimed to be balanced and transparent with his drivers. He said Mercedes would keep trying to give them equal opportunities.

He acknowledged that Antonelli now had the more realistic mathematical chance of winning the championship, but said Russell would still receive the same opportunities.

Wolff pointed to Mercedes’ comparison of two car specifications in Singapore: the team did not yet know which would be quicker, he said. He said the new car seemed trickier to drive, but was not necessarily slower. Wolff described equal opportunity as part of Mercedes’ ethos since he joined the team in 2013.