Mercedes slammed for 'embarrassing' video after Japanese Grand Prix

Mercedes have been called out by F1 fans for a video posted to their social media accounts following the Japanese Grand Prix.

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the race from pole position, finishing 13.7 seconds ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

The victory was far from simple, however, as the Italian lost five places off the start and had to weave his way back through the field.

He was in fourth place before the first set of pit stops, but was leading the race ahead of his first stop when the safety car was brought out for Ollie Bearman's high-speed crash.

Mercedes took advantage of the safety car period to pit Antonelli and the 19-year-old emerged in the lead, where he remained for the rest of the race.

Team-mate George Russell, meanwhile, also had a poor start from the front row of the grid, but only dropped down to fourth.

He was running in second behind Piastri ahead of the pit stops, but completed his stop the lap prior to Bearman's crash.

The Brit was then overtaken immediately after the restart by Lewis Hamilton, and dropped behind Charles Leclerc into fifth after an electrical software glitch heading into turn 13 caused him to decelerate.

Russell re-overtook Hamilton to move into fourth but, despite several attempts, wasn't able to overtake Leclerc for what would have been the final spot on the podium.

His fourth-placed finish means that Antonelli takes the lead of the Drivers' Championship, with the Italian becoming the only teenager in F1 history to lead the championship standings.

Post-race, Mercedes' social media account posted a video 'debrief' featuring Russell and team principal Toto Wolff at Suzuka.

In the video, Russell says: "That was a terrible day. The starts again, not good enough.

"But to be fair, one lap later pit stop and we probably win the race. And we're here talking about what a great day... swings and roundabouts."

Wolff replied: "It was like you said - that's how the game goes. Sometimes these things go against you, or for you, and it's another 19 races to go."

"It's just annoying, all the little niggles we had after," Russell said. "Like the battery not charging at the safety car restart. With Charles, we had the glitch with the software.

"It's just like somebody from above was not going to let us.

"They were fast [the other cars]. I think both Kimi and I struggled to get through people at the beginning of the race, didn't we? And then at the end it was not easy at all.

"Anyway, it could have been worse. We said the same after China!"

Wolff replied: "Yep. 19 to go."

But the video quickly went viral on social media - for the wrong reasons.

One fan wrote: "Go fix the car instead of this and then both the fans and George will be happy."

Another simply stated: "This is so embarrassing."

While a third said: "To be a fly on that wall after the admin stops filming."

A fourth said: "This gotta be the most shameless thing to post after your back-to-back disasters."

And a fifth claimed: "Only conversation required should be on the set up before qualifying. Cost him [Russell] in qualifying and then in the race, every time he came out of a corner (especially onto the main straight) he was losing to those around him."