Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has launched a furious tirade against Red Bull, branding their suggestion that driver Kimi Antonelli deliberately allowed McLaren's Lando Norris to pass during the Qatar Grand Prix as "brainless" and "total, utter nonsense".
The Controversial Overtake and Championship Implications
The flashpoint occurred on the penultimate lap of the race at the Lusail International Circuit. Kimi Antonelli, fighting for a potential podium, ran wide, allowing the chasing Lando Norris through into fourth place.
That crucial move earned Norris an extra two championship points. This means the British McLaren driver now only needs to finish third at the season finale in Abu Dhabi to be assured of beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen to the 2025 Formula One World Championship. Verstappen won the Qatar race, but his title hopes now hang by a thread.
Red Bull's 'Foul Play' Hints Spark Wolff's Fury
The controversy ignited when Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, suggested over team radio that the move looked suspicious. "I am not sure what happened to Antonelli there. It looked like he just pulled over and let Lando through," Lambiase said.
Red Bull's motor sport adviser, Helmut Marko, later amplified the claim, stating it was "so obvious" Norris had been "waved" through by the Mercedes junior driver. Given that McLaren uses Mercedes power units, the implication was one of team orders to aid Norris's title bid over Verstappen.
Toto Wolff's response was blistering in its intensity. "This is total, utter nonsense that blows my mind," the Mercedes boss stated. "We are fighting for second in the constructors' championship, which is important 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?"
Clearing the Air and Accusations of 'Seeing Ghosts'
Wolff revealed he confronted Lambiase after the race to address the comments directly. "I spoke to GP. Obviously they were emotional in that moment," Wolff explained. "I said to him, '[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'. So with GP everything is clear. We cleared the air."
However, Wolff remained incensed by the public allegations from the Red Bull camp. He questioned their rationale, asking, "Why would we do this? Why would we even think about interfering in a driver championship?" He concluded with a sharp rebuke: "You really need to check yourself and whether you are seeing ghosts."
The incident adds further spice to a championship battle that will be decided at the final round. Norris's race in Qatar was already compromised by a McLaren strategy error, and this late drama has ensured the title fight will go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi amidst a cloud of acrimony.
