Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has argued that George Russell was denied the pole position for the Italian Grand Prix because he was "done over" by Max Verstappen in the final moments of qualifying at Monza. Russell appeared to be on track to fulfil his status as the pre‑qualifying favourite, but his ultimate flying lap was disrupted when the Red Bull driver slowed down in front of him and his teammate Kimi Antonelli, compromising the British driver’s rhythm.
The Mercedes strategy for the session involved sending championship leader Kimi Antonelli out ahead of Russell to provide a slipstream, a common tactic at the high‑speed Monza circuit where a tow can shave crucial tenths off a lap time. Antonelli, who is serving a penalty for exceeding his allocated engine components, was set to start from the back of the grid regardless of his qualifying performance, so the team used his run to benefit Russell.
Even after the interference, Russell managed to improve his time and briefly held the fastest lap, only to have it snatched away in a stunning upset by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Gasly’s pole was one of the most surprising results in recent Formula 1 history, underscoring how quickly fortunes can change in a session where aerodynamics, tyre temperature and traffic all play a part. When Sky Sports F1 asked Wolff whether something had gone wrong for Russell, the Mercedes boss replied: "Yes, at the end he got done over by Max in the final run when launching the lap. It was just much too close, and that compromised the lap time eventually and that lost pole position." Wolff’s comments highlighted the razor‑thin margins that separate a pole‑winning lap from a second‑place effort at a circuit where speeds exceed 350 km/h.
At Monza, a clean tow is essential for extracting maximum performance, but the timing of the lead car’s movements can be just as critical. Verstappen, after losing contact with the McLarens ahead, attempted to position himself in front of another car to create a slipstream for himself.
As he decelerated approaching the final corner, Antonelli overtook the Red Bull, while Russell found himself stuck directly behind the slowing Dutchman. Being too close to the car in front for the entire lap can actually hinder aerodynamic efficiency, and Russell felt this was the case. Russell explained the situation: "We had a bit of a mess with Verstappen entering the lap.
He wanted to go for the tow, Kimi was there as well, and I did my lap a second and a half behind Max, which wasn’t ideal. I think everything looked fine until we got into Parabolica, when Max slammed on the brakes and didn’t want to be the lead car. You can’t control what other drivers do. Kimi gave me a perfect slipstream on the first run, but Max’s actions also made it difficult for Kimi to know what to do.
In hindsight it might have been better not to try that, but we wanted to give it everything." The British driver’s remarks illustrate how split‑second decisions by other competitors can ripple through a team’s qualifying plan. Despite the disappointment, Russell remains within striking distance of the championship leader.
He is still 59 points behind Antonelli, and a strong race result could narrow that gap. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Russell said: "I’m feeling good. The key is a clean start and a clean first lap. As long as I’m in the top three or four after the opening laps, I still have a solid chance to fight for the win.
That’s the goal." His confidence reflects Mercedes’ belief that a good race strategy and a reliable car can compensate for a qualifying setback. Max Verstappen, who qualified sixth, did not directly comment on the incident but admitted his own lap was hampered by a mechanical issue that caused the car to behave like a "kangaroo" on the bumpy sections of the circuit. "Something failed again on the car as soon as I went out for qualifying," Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.
"It’s something we’re aware of and it happens more often this year, but it costs lap time in the low‑speed sections where the car starts jumping around a lot more than it should. On the bumps and the kerbs the car isn’t compliant anymore." He added that the car performed much better in the final practice session, indicating progress: "I was actually very happy with the car in FP3 because we took a big step forward from yesterday. The car was in a much better window, and overall I think today it was in a much better window.
But when you have no ride control and the car is just jumping around like a kangaroo, you can’t be consistent. It’s a shame not to optimise our performance." Because Oscar Piastri received a grid penalty for impeding, Verstappen will move up one place on the starting grid, lining up fifth.
He warned that without a solution to the bouncing issue, the race will be challenging: "We need to be able to change whatever the part is, because otherwise it’s going to be quite tough to race like that." The weekend schedule includes a full day of support races: an F3 feature race at 7:10 am, an F2 feature at 8:40 am, a Porsche Supercup race at 10:40 am, followed by the Italian Grand Prix build‑up and the main event at 2 pm. The race will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW for viewers without a contract. The Monza Grand Prix, Ferrari’s home race, promises high drama as the championship battle intensifies and teams grapple with the fine margins that define success at the Temple of Speed.