Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has slammed Red Bull for their accusation around Kimi Antonelli following a dramatic conclusion to the Qatar Grand Prix.
Lando Norris entered the weekend knowing that a victory would be enough to clinch his maiden world title.
But a strategic blunder from McLaren ended up costing both Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri, allowing Max Verstappen to continue closing in on a fifth successive championship.
When a safety car was deployed on lap seven, the entire field dived into the pits, except for the two McLarens.
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With the FIA mandating two pit stops in Qatar, most teams took advantage of the safety car to get a 'free stop'.
McLaren chose to stay out in order to keep their strategic options open, but the decision left Norris frustrated, as he wanted to run a different strategy to Piastri.
Norris looked set for a disappointing fifth place-finish, as he was unable to get past Antonelli in the closing laps.
But the young Italian made a costly mistake, allowing Norris to move ahead and finish fourth.
The overtake earned him two more points, meaning he takes a 12-point lead over Verstappen into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
The moment caused anger on the Red Bull pit wall, with Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase claiming over team radio that it looked like Antonelli had "just pulled over and let Norris through."
Wolff hit back at those comments, branding the suggestion "brainless."
Wolff continued: "This is total utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that.
"We are fighting for P2 in the [Constructors'] Championship, which is important for us. Kimi is fighting for a potential P3 [race finish].
"How brainless can you be to even say something like this? It annoys me because I'm annoyed with the race itself, how it went.
"I'm annoyed with the mistake at the end. I'm annoyed with other mistakes, and then hearing such nonsense blows my mind."
Wolff was frustrated enough to speak directly to Lambiase after the Grand Prix.
"I spoke to GP [Lambiase]," he continued.
"I saw him, and obviously he was emotional in that moment, because they needed a P3, I guess, to help win the championship, now they need more.
"I said to him, 'he just went off'. He had a bit of a moment in the previous corner, and then had less entry speed into that left-hander, put the gas down, and at that moment, that can happen, then lost the position.
"So with GP, everything is clear. We cleared the air.
Meanwhile, Antonelli expressed frustration at crossing the line in fifth after spending several laps closing it on Sainz for the final podium spot.
Topics: Formula 1, Lando Norris, McLaren, Red Bull Racing, Mercedes
James Taylor