"Correct calls, Stop crying!": Fans react to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff claiming 'bias' in stewarding decision-making

F1 fans were left reeling when Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff claimed that the race stewards were biased in their decision-making throughout the US Grand Prix on Sunday. The Austrian was not happy with the stewards' decision to penalize George Russell after he overtook Kick Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas in the initial laps of the race.

The British driver comfortably made his way into the points after starting from the pit lane owing to the heavy repair job caused by his crash in qualifying on Saturday. However, the Mercedes driver was given a five-second penalty for forcing another driver off the track after he overtook Bottas to take the position.

After calling the penalty a "total joke" during the race on Russell's team radio, the Mercedes team principal further answered the Brit's query of a similar incident when Max Verstappen forced Lando Norris off in Turn 1 on the opening lap. he said, via Motorsport.com:

"He didn't get a penalty, and at the end, Lando got a penalty for being forced off and overtaking on the outside. I guess it is a bit biased decision-making."

F1 fans took to social media to give their reaction to Wolff's comments on biased decision-making from the race stewards on X, with one fan plainly saying:

"Correct calls. Stop crying."

"Allow the racers to race. Stop babying them with what they can and cannot do."

"If Wolff doesn't know the rules, should he lead an F1 team?"

"Here we go! A whole week of nagging about Lando’s penalty and making Max the villain again," said a fan.

"Toto should focus on Mercedes. They had an horrendous weekend," wrote another.

"He’s just pissed he can’t hire Max," claimed another.

Mercedes team principal calls the race penalties "inconsistent"

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated that the race penalties dished out throughout the weekend had been inconsistent with similar incidents at the Circuit of the Americas.

Speaking with Sky Sports F1, the Austrian reflected:

"It is inconsistent. With Valtteri, it wasn't even a race. [In the sprint] we saw a few of those incidents that were exactly the same and weren't penalized when racing for positions, real positions actually. So receiving that penalty is completely odd and bizarre."

"I think we know why, but I can't say that on television. Sometimes there are correlations. When there is decision-making that is a bit interesting." Wolff said.

On the track, it was a difficult weekend for the German team with Lewis Hamilton spinning on lap 2 of the race. However, George Russell made an impressive comeback after starting from pit Lane to finish P6 ahead of Red Bull driver Sergio Perez.

But they failed to deliver on the promise that they had showcased in the sprint shootout on Friday where they were in the hunt for pole position.