P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Toto Wolff was less than impressed with Helmut Marko after his comments about Kimi Antonelli during the Qatar Grand Prix. Even after the Mercedes boss’s anger, Marko has stood by his position.
Helmut Marko responded to Toto Wolff’s criticism of him as “brainless” for suggesting Kimi Antonelli intentionally let Lando Norris overtake him in the Qatar Grand Prix. Norris managed to snatch fourth place from Antonelli, with two crucial mistakes by the Mercedes driver in Turns 9 and 10 on the penultimate lap at the Lusail International Circuit. These two extra points gained by Norris could play a decisive role in the championship battle, as he now leads Max Verstappen by 12 points, requiring only a third place in the upcoming Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to secure his first title. Both Marko and the Red Bull camp, including Dutch driver Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, pointed out the incident during the race. Wolff expressed his anger at Marko’s accusation, emphasizing the intense competition between Mercedes and Red Bull for second place in the constructors’ championship standings. Despite Wolff’s frustration, Marko stood by his claims, urging people to review the footage of the incident, emphasizing that Antonelli’s actions occurred twice, suggesting a deliberate move.
