George Russell believes that Mercedes made the right call by running different strategies for him and his teammate Kimi Antonelli, even though the decision ultimately saw Antonelli surge past him to claim a dramatic win at the Italian Grand Prix. The race unfolded with Russell in the lead, closely followed by Antonelli, who had started from a modest 19th‑place grid slot and had clawed his way up the order at an astonishing pace. By the time a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed with 25 laps remaining, Russell was ahead of Antonelli by just one second.
When the VSC was activated, Mercedes opted to pit Antonelli for fresh medium‑compound tyres while leaving Russell on his older hard tyres. This strategic split created a gap of roughly fifteen seconds between the two drivers once the VSC period ended. From sixth place on the restart, Antonelli methodically passed his rivals, re‑joining the fight for the lead and ultimately overtaking Russell with three laps to go, securing a home victory that delighted the Italian crowd. The result left Russell trailing Antonelli by 66 points in the Drivers' Championship with ten races still to run.
Reflecting on the tyre choices, Russell explained, "I was on the hard tyre and Kimi was on the medium tyre when the VSC came, so if either of us were to pit, it was going to be Kimi. I was a bit annoyed by the timing of that VSC because, as Max said, it would have been tough for those on the medium to compete with anyone on the hard.
But it doesn’t take anything away from Kimi’s drive overall." Mercedes' decision to keep the two drivers on separate strategies was not made in a vacuum. Team principal Toto Wolff later revealed that the team's simulation tools indicated Russell's hard‑tyre plan would be marginally quicker than Antonelli's medium‑tyre run at the moment the VSC was called. The data suggested Antonelli would get close but would not be able to catch Russell under those conditions. Wolff also noted that the team had long regarded the hard tyre as a "forever tyre" capable of lasting the entire distance, whereas the medium compound offered higher peak performance but required a pit stop.
Russell told Sky Sports F1 that the VSC timing felt awkward and that the team was uncertain about the optimal approach. "I don’t think the team knew what the right strategy was, and with Max in the mix we decided to split the strategy, which was probably the right thing for the team," he said. He added that hindsight makes it easy to second‑guess decisions: "In hindsight it’s easy to say I should have pitted, or if I had won they would have said Kimi should have stayed out. I would have liked to have a fight with Kimi.
It was a nice battle and I felt I was holding my own, which is probably why the team wanted us on different strategies. I get it." Naomi Schiff of Sky Sports F1 remarked on Russell’s relatively calm reaction, noting, "I don’t know why he’s not a little more frustrated.
If you’ve given it your all and think you’ve executed the best strategy, and your teammate wins from P19, there might not be much to be angry about, except that Kimi will be incredibly tough to beat this season." The strategic split also had broader implications for the race order. Had Mercedes elected to pit both drivers simultaneously, Antonelli would have been delayed in the pit lane, potentially losing track position to Max Verstappen, who also pitted under the VSC.
This could have reshaped the final podium and altered the points distribution. Beyond the immediate race, the outcome impacted the championship landscape. Antonelli, who entered the weekend expected to lose ground to his title rivals—Russell, Lewis Hamilton, and Lando Norris—actually extended his lead.
Meanwhile, Russell faces a separate challenge: a shortage of power‑unit components means he will likely start from the back of the grid in an upcoming race due to a mandatory penalty. Despite the setback, Russell emphasized that he is not dwelling on the title fight. Instead, he is focusing on the positives of recent performances at Monza and Zandvoort, circuits where he feels the car has been competitive. "We are where we are.
Kimi’s been driving incredibly this season and deserves to be leading the championship. I’m not thinking about the fight or the comeback; I’m just thinking about going to every race and trying to win it. I’m not putting pressure on myself saying I need to do this or that.
I just need to win more races, and of course he’s in this spot," he said. Looking ahead, the Formula 1 calendar moves to Spain, where the inaugural Madring circuit will host the Spanish Grand Prix. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through NOW without a long‑term contract. Fans can expect another weekend of high‑stakes racing as the championship battle continues to evolve, and teams will undoubtedly analyse the lessons from Monza to refine their strategies for the challenges ahead.