Toto Wolff addresses prospect of Mercedes imposing team orders on Kimi Antonelli

Toto Wolff is to consider whether to impose team orders on Kimi Antonelli to aid George Russell's bid to finish as runner-up in the drivers' standings.

With Antonelli already confirmed as the drivers' champion and Mercedes sealing its ninth constructors' crown with three rounds spare, attention has now turned to whether Russell can take his best career-finish and place second in the drivers' standings for a perfect season for Mercedes.

After the Sao Paulo GP, Max Verstappen holds the place on 279 points, with Russell third on 262, Lewis Hamilton fourth on 261, with Charles Leclerc (249) and Lando Norris (246) also still in with a shout. 

During its record-breaking run of eight consecutive titles between 2014 and 2021, Mercedes finished one-two in the drivers on five occasions, only missing out in 2017 and 2018, before Hamilton controversially lost the 2021 drivers' title to Verstappen in the final race - with Hamilton taking second and Valtteri Bottas third.

With 75 points still up for grabs in the Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi races, Russell is more than capable of overhauling Verstappen on his own, but Wolff has indicated that the "possibility" could exist where he could ask Antonelli to aid Russell's push.  

"So I haven't thought about the drivers' championship yet," Wolff told media, including RacingNews365, when asked if the team would prioritise Russell in the final three rounds.

"But clearly, we absolutely want him to score the maximum [points] and hopefully finish second [in the standings].

"We need to think about what we're going to do about it, but it could be a possibility that we're giving it all the force."

[Article continues below]

Wolff vows "full blast"

Reflecting on Russell's difficult season, in which has been vocal about his struggles to adapt to the new generation cars and power units, Wolff gave his charge a vote of confidence and vowed to go "full blast" in the final three races.

"It is also George's championship; it is the constructors' championship, and he is part of the team," Wolff said.

"I'm really happy that he can cherish this moment because we owe it to him.

"He's had it so tough at times, and [qualifying] was a good example; he was absolutely dominating qualifying and should have been on pole easily, but it was the wrong call [to tell him to abort the lap].

"We have three races to go, and we are going to go full blast, and he will recover.

"I have no doubt about that for next year, and all the very best sports people have gone through difficult periods, and that is going to be a part of his continued development."