Toto Wolff hits out at those claiming Mercedes is deliberately favouring Kimi Antonelli over George Russell.

Though seen by the likes of Stefano Domenicali as a clear sign of the sport's success story, there is no denying that F1's new generation of fans have brought a whole new generation of issues with them.

If it isn't drivers playing up to the cameras and teams courting social media influencers, its threats, abuse and conspiracy theories.

One of the latest conspiracy theories concerns Mercedes, and the claim that the German team is deliberately sabotaging George Russell's season in a bid to help Kimi Antonelli secure the title.

Asked what he would say to those claiming that his team is favouring the Italian youngster, Wolff didn't pull any punches.

"They're brainless, whoever thinks that," snapped the Austrian. "I mean, it's completely nonsensical.

"We've had it in the past with Lewis fans," he continued. "I mean, literally, I don't know what's going on.

"Do they think I have a button that says, 'George engine failure now', or disadvantaging one driver against the other when we are fighting for a Constructors' Championship, when we have always had the mindset of providing everybody equal material?

"I guess this is maybe where social media goes today," he sighed. "People hide behind their screens and then they lash out.

"There's a lot of polarisation going on, and sometimes when I read what people write. I find it hilarious. These people really contribute to my own entertainment when they are abusing the team or myself. I'm Satan, I've heard. So, yeah, overall funny."

"Silver Arrows rules will fix it," joked Zak Brown. "I've got a book I can share with you."

"You obviously, you have the exclusive rights on fruits, Papaya Rules, so we need to come up with something better," Wolff smiled. "But really, zero understanding and respect for people who come up with these things. They should, rather than watching Formula 1, they should do Teletubbies or some Mickey Mouse."

It is suggested that with Antonelli dominating in the way he is this season, it would be natural for Russell, f only in a very small way, to wonder if the team remains fully impartial.

"I've always tried, since I came into Formula 1, even in my Williams days, to be the most balanced and the most structured, transparent, sorry, the most balanced and most transparent with the drivers," said Wolff.

"I have told this story before. I remember being a complete rookie and running into Alain Prost on the grid of a race, and I said, 'Just out of interest, why did it go so wrong between you and Senna?' And he said, 'Because we never knew what the team was about. You felt that you were the flavour of the month one time, and then two months later you thought the politics were going against you. There were different situations where you had the feeling that you're really not wanted.'

"So, I took it as my challenge to keep it always balanced. And it was not easy with Lewis and Nico back in the day. And that's why people can think what they want, but the integrity in that respect is something that's important for me, and the drivers know it.

"We have had Kimi since he was 11. He is an integral part of the team. It is very nice to see him grow, be in a position now that he is fighting for a championship at such a young age, the talent he has.

"And then, on the other side, George, who has been with us since he was 17, someone that I feel a lot of, how can I say, emotions for and compassion. We are very close. We are spending time with Carmen and Susie off the track with each other.

"If people would see that we're travelling together, we're having coffee in the same coffee shop, we're going to the gym, that's why it's pretty annoying to have some lunatics that have no understanding really about how relationships work coming up with these kinds of accusations. So, I don't pay any attention to this.

"Most important is that George knows how the team is and Kimi knows, and we will always try to give them equal opportunity.

"When it comes to the upgrade, it's a good example. We don't know which one is going to be quicker. And so you take a decision and say, 'Let's try to find out'. There is no great political thinking behind it.

"And when it comes to racing, like the Papaya Rules, we have always been very clear that we're not standing in each other's way. We don't like the yo-yo racing that could cost a position if someone is close to us, and the quicker car, if it's behind, is always going to have an advantage. And that could go either direction, doesn't matter.

"Even now that it's more realistic for Kimi to win a championship in sheer mathematical probability, we would still give George the same opportunities," he insisted. "And that's important. That's the ethos and the integrity on which the team has operated since 2013, since I came, and we are going to stick to that. And then people can think what they want.

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