Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has dismissed suggestions from "couch warriors" that the Silver Arrows failed to treat George Russell fairly during the Italian Grand Prix. Russell was narrowly leading the race from his team-mate Kimi Antonelli when Mercedes took a decision to pit the Italian under a virtual safety car. The call ultimately benefitted Antonelli as he used his fresh tyres to pull off a stunning victory having started from 19th on the grid, which increased Russell's deficit to the Italian at the top of the standings to 66 points.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 ahead of qualifying at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, Wolff reiterated his belief that the fact Antonelli was running on a medium tyre and Russell a hard tyre completely justified the decision. "It's absolutely the right thing we did," Wolff said. "He (Russell) was on the hard. It was predicted to be a one-stop as the better strategy... saying that he was penalised is complete bull."

Wolff admitted that "harsh calls" are required to win championships but insisted that there is no "hidden agenda or favouritism" with his team. Russell started the season as the clear title favourite but has been outperformed by Antonelli, with the 20-year-old having dramatically exceeded expectations during just his second F1 campaign. The Brit backed Mercedes' decision following the race in Monza, insisting that Antonelli deserved credit for his performance.