"Time to Take Charge: Toto Wolff Urged to Manage Russell and Antonelli as Silver War Two Threatens"

TOTO WOLFF has been warned Mercedes’ season could “end in tears” if he does not get control of warring George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, as the Formula One title race heats up.

The saw an incredible battle between championship-leader Antonelli and pre-season favourite as the two drivers knocked seven bells out of one another before Brit Russell was forced to retire due to an engine failure.

Toto Wolff has been warned to get control of warring Kimi Antonelli and George Russell Credit: Shutterstock Editorial F1 Insider Richard Hopkins also recalled how losing Monaco left one former F1 star broken Credit: UNSW

hasn’t seen a Silver Arrows battle this intense since and Nico Rosberg’s infamous Silver War in 2016, which turned childhood best friends into the fiercest of rivals.

Mercedes boss over the flashpoint at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2016, while seven-time world champion Hamilton recalled the aftermath of that was

However, the 54-year-old is at risk of seeing history repeat itself with Antonelli, 19, and 28-year-old Russell giving no quarter to one another on track as they both race to win their first F1 championship.

Former F1 chief and mechanic Richard Hopkins, speaking to The Sun via Covers.com, where you can find available offers like the Kalshi promo code , said: “Antonelli and Russell look reasonably close to a Hamilton v Rosberg situation.

“It was amazing, skilful racing, but it was very close. There were a couple of manoeuvres there where the front wing on the rear wheel was millimetres away.

“You call that incredible skill, or you call that incredible luck – one or the other. And when you run the gauntlet like that, at some point your luck’s going to run out, whether it’s luck or your talent’s going to run out, one or the other.

“Toto doesn’t seem to be on the radio telling them to completely back off or hold station.

“But if they’re allowed to keep doing that, and Toto and the team accept the risks with them doing that, then it might end in tears, in a situation like Barcelona that year when Lewis and Nico hit each other on Turn Three at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix.”

Antonelli has already opened up a 43-point gap on Russell ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, arguably the crown jewel of F1 racing, for which he claimed pole position for in qualifying by beating and Hamilton.

However, Hopkins believes it will be Russell who will emerge as champion when the chequered flag is waved at the end of the season.

He said: “It’s not too much for other drivers to come back into this. This is a long season. I might eat my words when Kimi wins every race for the balance of the season, but I think it’s still too close to call.

“I think George’s experience will come through in the end. In Canada, if George’s engine didn’t expire, who would have won that battle? I think George would have.

“Young kid, Kimi, Monaco — not his first time there, but with all the pressure of leading the championship, having won so many races, and the expectation that he’s going to win this race.

“It’ll be interesting to see if he handles the pressure. If he starts to break a little bit under pressure, George will feed off that.”

Despite the rapid pace of Mercedes, Hopkins expects Monaco home favourite earlier this week by winning his ninth race for the Scuderia in his own backyard.

Monte Carlo offers a unique challenge to drivers and mechanics alike, in big part due to the small pit lane teams have to work with, and as a result mistakes can be costly.

Antonelli and Russell almost came to blows in Canada Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Antonelli strengthened his grip on the championship after taking pole in Monaco Credit: Shutterstock Editorial

Hopkins recalls Red Bull’s 2016 gaffe when pitted from the lead of the race but had no tyres ready for him, which ultimately cost the Honeybadger the chance to win the most coveted race in motorsport and left him “bruised for many years” after.

He added: “In that instance, there was a fairly significant breakdown in communication. It was also the first year at Monaco where we had the pit complex and infrastructure that we now see.

“Prior to that, there were no permanent garages. It was working just in the pit lane, and communication was awkward then. At Monaco, it’s on two different floors, so people sit upstairs.

“We knew Daniel was coming in, but the message to the mechanics — to the guys on the tyres to unplug the tyres — wasn’t correct. So that mistake was made.

Former Red Bull star Daniel Ricciardo had been left ‘bruised’ by a botched pit stop that cost him a win in Monaco in 2016 Credit: Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. He made up for it by finally winning in 2018 Credit: Getty

“Daniel was bruised for many years following that. It didn’t ever sit very well with him until he won the Monaco Grand Prix a few years later (in 2018).

“I spoke to a few other people in the team and the guy was gutted. He’s leading the Monaco Grand Prix. It’s Monaco.

“I guess for a driver, if you crash at Monaco while leading – [Ayrton] Senna in 1988, for example, leading the Monaco Grand Prix by a country mile and losing it at Massenet – the blame points directly at you.

“For Daniel, I suppose he apportioned a lot of the blame onto the team and was extremely upset because a Monaco race win was lost not through his own doing.

“Teams have to equally share the blame. We can’t have that sort of blame culture. For the team, everybody was disappointed on that occasion. Everybody had to pick themselves up, understand and analyse what went wrong and, as I say, not make the same error again.”