Steiner praises Wolff for letting Russell and Antonelli race freely in Canada

Guenther Steiner has singled out Toto Wolff as his standout figure from the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, crediting the Mercedes team principal for allowing George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to fight without team orders during their closely contested battle in Montreal.

The praise arrives in the context of a dominant 2026 season for Mercedes, who have won every race since the new regulations came into force. Russell claimed the opening victory in Australia, but Antonelli has taken every win since — China, Japan, Miami and Canada — making the Italian the youngest driver to lead the championship and the first to win his opening four grands prix consecutively.

The Canadian weekend provided the first real flashpoint between the two teammates. Antonelli was heard venting on team radio during the sprint race, claiming Russell had forced him off the circuit. By Sunday’s grand prix, however, the tension had not fully dissipated. The pair raced wheel-to-wheel for the opening 30 laps before Russell was forced to retire, removing the question of how the battle might have ended.

Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner was unambiguous in his admiration for Wolff’s restraint. “Toto Wolff,” he said when asked to name his ‘Rockstar’ of the week. “And you know why? Because he let them race. He didn’t interfere, didn’t say anything, just let them out there. And you have no idea. I think the rockstar should be the person who is cleaning his pants because he must have been there s****ing, but fair play to him.”

Steiner also addressed whether the sprint race incident would have prompted any behind-the-scenes conversations between the drivers. “I don’t know. I think for sure Kimi and George spoke about it. I’m pretty sure about it, but I don’t think it helped a lot because, on Sunday, they were at each other like on Saturday,” he said. “But for Toto not to put an end to it was remarkable, good in my opinion.”

The episode underlines a broader question hanging over Mercedes’ season: how long the team can afford to let its two title contenders race without restriction before the championship arithmetic demands a different approach.