David Croft tells Toto Wolff to ‘shush’ and let Mercedes drivers race freely

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David Croft has told Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to ‘stay away’ from Kimi Antonelli and George Russell’s battles on track in 2026.

The Silver Arrows caught the headlines at the Canadian GP as Antonelli and Russell went wheel-to-wheel all weekend. The pair almost collided numerous times, and neither was too happy with the other, particularly after the Sprint race.

Antonelli accused Russell of pushing him onto the grass at turn two and was furious over the radio. Wolff told Antonelli to stop moaning and get on with the race, with the Italian finishing third behind winner Russell and Lando Norris.

David Croft tells Toto Wolff ‘don’t intervene’ with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell’s battles

On Sunday, the pair had it out again on track, locking up and running wide several times before the battle was abruptly ended by Russell’s battery failure on lap 30.

Wolff almost had ‘enough’ of his drivers’ battle and they nearly came to blows. The Austrian has pointed out the rules of engagement to Antonelli and Russell, but Croft has told him to ‘shush’ and stay out of their fights on track.

He said on Sky Sports’ The F1 Show: “I think Mercedes have already got a fairly handsome lead in the constructors’ championship. That will only grow.

“I think, Monaco, we’ll get on to Monaco in a minute, they might not have it all their own way, but they’re still the class of the field.

Should Toto Wolff stay off the radio when Kimi Antonelli and George Russell battle?

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“Don’t need an intervention yet, didn’t need an intervention with McLaren last year. You are paying these drivers handsomely. You should trust them.

“Every employer should trust their employees to do their job, because you’ve put your faith in them by giving them that job.

“So stay away for the time being. Don’t intervene. Don’t change it. Just keep reminding them of what those rules of engagement are and give us fans a real treat.

“So, I’m not here to give Toto Wolff advice, but if I was, it would be, yeah, shush for the time being. And then when they do take themselves out, if they take themselves out, that’s when you can intervene as a team.”

‘Tensions’ are growing at Mercedes as Antonelli extends his lead in the championship by 43 points. The team will certainly watch their drivers closely in case things get too dramatic, but Wolff knows Antonelli’s spat with Russell is good for F1 and its viewership.