wolff condemns “Brainless” red Bull Allegation of Intentional Move to Aid Norris
Lusail, Qatar – November 18, 2023 – mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has vehemently denied accusations from Red Bull Racing suggesting Kimi Antonelli intentionally yielded position to Lando Norris during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix, a move Red Bull implied was designed to benefit Norris’s championship challenge. the controversy erupted after Norris finished fourth, a result influenced by Antonelli running off track on the penultimate lap.
The incident has implications for the final championship standings, as Norris’s two points gained now position him to potentially secure third place – rather than second – at the Abu Dhabi season finale, guaranteeing him the edge over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the title fight. Verstappen won the Qatar Grand prix, but his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, questioned Antonelli’s maneuver over team radio, stating, “I am not sure what happened to Antonelli there. It looked like he just pulled over and let Lando through.”
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko further fueled the speculation, claiming it was “so obvious” that Norris had been ”waved” through by Antonelli.
Wolff responded with sharp criticism, calling the accusations “total, utter nonsense that blows my mind.” He emphasized Mercedes‘ own competitive goals,stating,”We are fighting for second in the constructors’ championship,which is crucial for us. Kimi is fighting for a potential third in the race. I mean, how brainless can you be to even say something like this?”
Visibly frustrated, Wolff added, “And it annoys me. because I’m annoyed with the race itself, how it went. I’m annoyed with the mistake at the end. I’m annoyed with othre mistakes. And than hearing such nonsense blows my mind.”
Following the race, wolff sought out Lambiase to address the concerns directly. ”I spoke to GP. Obviously they were emotional in that moment,” Wolff explained. “I said to him, ‘he [Antonelli] just went off. He had a bit of a moment in the previous corner and then less entry speed into the left-hander. It can happen.'”
Wolff confirmed the matter had been resolved with Lambiase, who stated he hadn’t fully observed the incident. “So with GP everything is clear. We cleared the air. He said that he didn’t see the situation,” wolff said. He concluded by questioning the basis of the accusation, asking, “But why would we do this? Why would we even think about interfering in a driver championship? You really need to check yourself and weather you are seeing ghosts.”
