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Fred Vasseur has called Toto Wolff’s driver headache with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli a ‘rich man’s problem’ as they began to lock horns during the Canadian Grand Prix Sprint race.
Ahead of this weekend’s race weekend in Montreal, many figures within the F1 paddock were theorising on when the two championship leaders would finally come together.
At last year’s edition of the race, we saw McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri come together for the very first time. It resulted in Norris retiring from the race prematurely and is well-known as being a big flash point in the 2025 title fight.
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Fortunately for Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, the battle between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell didn’t result in the two Silver Arrows coming to blows. However, it did raise questions over the Brackley-based outfit’s rules of engagement.
It also showed a side of the 19-year-old that had yet to be on display in the cockpit of an F1 car. Antonelli was furious with Russell’s hard racing in the Sprint, which led Wolff to intervene over the Mercedes team radio following the chequered flag.
The two drivers, who are on the hunt for their first world titles in the sport, will go at it again during Sunday’s Grand Prix, lining up in the exact same order that they started Saturday’s Sprint in.
- READ MORE: Toto Wolff reveals Kimi Antonelli mistake that ‘cost him pole position’ at the Canadian GP
Fred Vasseur says Toto Wolff’s driver headache is a ‘rich man’s problem’
During an interview with Canal+ following the conclusion of qualifying, Fred Vasseur was asked how he would manage Antonelli and Russell if he were heading Mercedes’ F1 team.
Naturally, the Frenchman replied, “That’s Toto’s job, not mine,” before adding, “First of all, it’s a rich man’s problem, because it’s all very well to be fighting for P2, but it’s always a complicated situation, because both are competitors.
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“In every team, you can have this scenario; in every team, we’ve had it. The drivers are there to deliver results, too. And that rivalry often leads to performance, so you can’t count them out. But I think they handled it very well this morning.”
Ferrari have had a disappointing weekend so far in Montreal, with Charles Leclerc suffering from brake issues over the course of the weekend, and Lewis Hamilton being caught out by the infamous Wall of Champions during the 23-lap Sprint.
- READ MORE: Jolyon Palmer fears Fred Vasseur could not ‘manage’ Lewis Hamilton in a Charles Leclerc title fight
Rear suspension damage on the seven-time world champion’s SF-26 saw him fall down the order despite there being just a handful of laps remaining.
After spending the majority of the race running in P4, he took the chequered flag in P6 as Leclerc managed to pip him on the line.
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