Formula 1 News: Wolff explodes as Marko accuses Mercedes of collusion

(GMM) A furious Toto Wolff has blasted Dr Helmut Marko (pictured hugging race winner Max Verstappen) after Red Bull accused Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli of deliberately helping Lando Norris in the Qatar GP title fight.

Marko claimed he twice saw the 19-year-old “let” Norris through – giving the McLaren driver two extra points in his duel with Max Verstappen.

“If you see it twice, can you name it?” Marko said. “It happened twice – twice. It was really too obvious.”

Even Verstappen’s engineer Gianpiero ‘GP’ Lambiase remarked over team radio that Antonelli appeared to pull aside intentionally.

The accusation sent Wolff into a rage.

“The last thing we want to do is interfere in the World Championship fight,” he said.

“What Helmut is saying is total and complete nonsense. I’m really stunned to hear this. We are fighting for second in the championship – that is very important to us.

“How brainless can you be to say something like that?”

The Mercedes boss said he even confronted Lambiase after hearing about the radio message.

“He was very emotional at the time, because they needed a certain result. Now they need a position extra,” Wolff explained.

“But everything is fine with Lambiase now. We cleared the air. He said he hadn’t quite seen the situation.”

Marko, however, doubled down.

“He let McLaren pass twice, more or less. It was clear. The first time was the same,” the 82-year-old insisted. “He also opened the door for Piastri.”

And when informed of Wolff’s anger, Marko replied: “I’d be happy to counter that. You just have to watch the footage.”

Wolff still wasn’t having it.

“Why would we do that? Why should we think about influencing the drivers’ championship? You need to get yourself checked out – you see ghosts,” he fired.

Antonelli, meanwhile, stayed out of the political storm – and even supported Verstappen’s title hopes when asked by Sky Italia.

“He believes in it, and I think he can do it too,” said the Italian. “He has nothing to lose, so he definitely has a good chance.”

Ralf Schumacher urged calm: “Antonelli was angry himself. He wanted to hold the position. That’s neither Toto Wolff’s nor Kimi Antonelli’s style. Let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill.”

GPDA chairman Alex Wurz agreed.

“I don’t believe he is some kind of stuntman faking something,” he told ORF.