Formula 1 headed from the twists and turns under the lights in Marina Bay to the driver-favorite Suzuka last weekend. In the process, the sparks flying in Mercedes went from literal to metaphorical really quickly. What does that mean? The blooming rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finally started bubbling over after one-and-a-half years. A driver pairing that was tipped to be explosive from the start is only now getting heated, and it’s all thanks to Mercedes’ team principal.

Toto Wolff was absent during the Japanese GP. Considering he left capable people in charge, he would’ve thought it’d all be under control. That’s not exactly what happened, as Mercedes got a little too close to imploding, especially because of Russell’s rebellion in Suzuka. The boss had no option but to step in and douse the flames—a situation he has only himself to blame for.

Lewis Hamilton knew what would happen if Russell joined him

In Suzuka, the Mercedes boys qualified P7 and P8—Hamilton ahead of Russell. After the first few laps on Sunday, it became clear their fight was against Ferrari. Turns out, Russell had other plans. While they should’ve been fighting the Ferrari boys, Russell tried his best to get the better of Hamilton. Their fight—which included multiple almost-collisions—had the Mercedes pit wall sitting at the edge of their seats. With both of them on different strategies at the end of the race, Russell was hesitant to let Hamilton through. That made Wolff get involved—even though he wasn’t in Suzuka—and the young Brit was “instructed” to make way for Hamilton.

F1 journalist Peter Windsor discussed the repercussions of the tussle on Cameron F1’s YouTube channel. He said, “If [Mercedes] has a championship-winning car, there is a major problem that Mercedes has to face. And that is Lewis Hamilton versus George Russell.” There’s no secret tensions are rising in the Mercedes garage, and Windsor feels that’s down to Wolff’s 2021 decision. “The minute Toto decided not to listen to Lewis and got rid of Valtteri [Bottas] and signed George, then there was really no solution to the problem. Because we all know how quick George is and how aggressive he is.”

“There’s no way Lewis wanted to keep Valtteri just because he wanted a guy he could beat. Valtteri had beaten Lewis on occasion, he’d driven pretty well. It was more, ‘This is a guy I know who isn’t going to cramp my style.’ The problem is, it’s now cramping and has been cramping Lewis’ style for quite a long time,” added Windsor. With Bottas in the team, Hamilton felt this balance in the team, which has now gone missing. With Russell and his intentions of beating Hamilton, the seven-time champion is off-kilter in a team he’s been at the forefront of for the past decade. 

Read More: “Embarrassing for Mercedes”: Toto Wolff’s Favoritism for Lewis Hamilton Over George Russell Lands Him in Hot Waters

As much as Hamilton and Russell might be at odds because of this, they’ve made it clear they’re working toward a common goal.

Hamilton and Russell have the same aim for this season

Like in Suzuka, Mercedes is fighting against Ferrari even in the long run. The long run? The Constructors’ Championship. P2 in the championship, Mercedes had a stronghold on that position for quite some time. Since the summer break, though, Ferrari has made a significant dent in Mercedes’ advantage. After the Japanese GP, the Scuderia is just 20 points adrift of the Brackley squad. Considering Charles Leclerc finished P4 and Sainz finished P6, they scored 4 more points than Mercedes. Despite the tensions, Russell and Hamilton know they can outperform Ferrari for P2. 

After the race, Hamilton said, “Our ultimate goal is to beat the Ferraris in the Constructors’ Championship. That’s all that matters. We’re not fighting for a driver’s position in the championship. Now, it’s about just getting the maximum points for the team. I think that’s what we did here.” Echoing the seven-time champion’s words, Russell said, “At the end of the day, we need to score the maximum points possible. For me personally, the Driver’s Championship is totally out of the window this season. The objective is to finish P2 with the team ahead of Ferrari.”

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 Do you think Toto Wolff made a mistake by signing George Russell to drive alongside Lewis Hamilton?