Mercedes critics think I'm Satan - Wolff

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has responded to accusations of bias towards drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

The accusations stem from Russell's recent engine failure in Malaysia, which led to a host of online accusations of bias towards Antonelli.

Wolff has denied the accusations, stating that they are 'completely nonsensical' and that he has always pursued a policy of equality between drivers since he took over the leadership of Mercedes in 2013.

Wolff emphasized that he has a close personal relationship with both Russell and Antonelli, who are both long-time proteges of the team and Wolff personally.

He underlined that the team has always had the mindset of providing equal material to both drivers, and that he does not have a button that says 'George, engine failure now'.

Wolff also cited a conversation he had with Alain Prost about his bitter rivalry with Ayrton Senna while at McLaren in the 1980s, where Prost said that the key to avoiding bias was to keep the team's intentions clear and balanced.

Wolff stated that he has always taken this as a challenge and has worked to keep the team's intentions balanced, even in the face of intense and rancorous rivalry between drivers.

The accusations of bias come as Russell enters this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix 86 points behind team-mate Kimi Antonelli, and will start from the back because of a grid penalty for using too many engine parts.

Wolff described the accusations as 'brainless' and stated that he finds it hilarious to read what people write online, especially when they are abusing the team or himself.

He added that he is 'Satan' according to some critics, but emphasized that he is committed to providing equal opportunities for both drivers.

The team is also facing complications in Singapore, with the upgrades they brought to Malaysia not proving effective and leaving them perplexed as to why they had not delivered.

Mercedes have opted to split their options this weekend with Russell reverting to the spec with which he had won in Baku and Antonelli running the new version in order to provide an insight into where the developments were wanting.

In qualifying for Saturday's sprint race, Russell was clearly enjoying his pre-upgrade ride more than his teammate, taking second on the grid while Antonelli only managed seventh.