Toto Wolff has revealed that Mercedes made the decision to excuse George Russell from carrying out his post Mexico City Grand Prix media duties. According to Wolff, the British driver was left thoroughly "distraught" following the event, which prompted the team to step in directly and relieve him from his scheduled post-race media obligations.
The root cause behind Russell's distress was the fact that his Mercedes team-mate, Kimi Antonelli, officially clinched the Drivers' Championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Watching his own team-mate seal the Drivers' Championship proved to be an immensely difficult reality for the British racer to absorb in the immediate aftermath of the contest.
Wolff disclosed that the emotional impact of watching Antonelli clinch the Drivers' Championship led Mercedes to grant Russell an exemption from his routine media duties. Recognizing that Russell was "distraught" after seeing his team-mate capture the title, Wolff and the Mercedes outfit determined it was best that he be excused from facing the media following the Mexico City Grand Prix.
With Antonelli officially clinching the Drivers' Championship, Wolff's comments underline the contrasting emotions experienced within Mercedes after the Mexico City Grand Prix. While Antonelli reached the pinnacle by sealing the Drivers' Championship, his British team-mate Russell was left deeply distraught, resulting in the decision to excuse him entirely from his post-race media duties.