Toto Wolff shares his thoughts after George Russell wonders about Mercedes’ team orders at the Dutch GP.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has responded to George Russell’s worries about team orders favoring Kimi Antonelli at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Antonelli, who leads the championship, was battling Lando Norris for the lead when a virtual safety car came out on lap 53. Mercedes decided to pit Antonelli for fresh tires but kept Russell out, which moved Russell up to second place behind Norris.
With newer tires, Antonelli quickly caught up to Russell. Russell’s race engineer asked him to let Antonelli pass on the pit straight, and Russell agreed but wondered if this might mean losing a potential double podium finish. He also questioned letting Antonelli pull away instead of helping him defend against Lewis Hamilton, who was closing in fast.
Russell even asked on the radio, “Is he going for the win? Or trying to catch Norris?” In the end, Russell managed to stay ahead of Hamilton, helped by another virtual safety car late in the race.
While Russell seemed a bit unhappy on team radio in the final laps, he shared a more understanding view after the race. He said the team always agrees not to fight each other when on different strategies and to switch positions if needed. He admitted he might have kept Antonelli behind but also could have dropped to fifth himself. Overall, he felt Antonelli deserved second place and he was happy with third.
Wolff said after the race he had no regrets about the team orders and would have made the same call if the situation were reversed. He explained that the team talks about this every Sunday morning to avoid losing time and points when rivals are close behind. Since Antonelli was clearly ahead before the pit stop, keeping that order was normal for the team.
During the summer break, Mercedes’ deputy team principal Bradley Lord explained their clear rule: if a Mercedes can win, a Mercedes must win — no matter which driver it is. The team’s main goal is to focus on the Constructors’ Championship by keeping the cars reliable and fast, then helping their drivers compete for the Drivers’ title. They will do whatever is needed to make sure the fastest Mercedes wins on race day.