George Russell maintains that Mercedes made the right call by running two different strategies, even though it meant he fell short to his teammate Kimi Antonelli in an exhilarating Italian Grand Prix. The race unfolded dramatically: after just 13 laps, Antonelli had surged from a 19th‑place start to join the leaders, sitting only a second behind Russell when a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed with 25 laps remaining. At that moment, Mercedes elected to pit Antonelli for fresh medium‑compound tyres while leaving Russell out on his hard tyre. When the VSC period ended, the two drivers were separated by roughly 15 seconds.
From sixth on the grid, Antonelli methodically passed his rivals, carving his way through the field and eventually catching Russell with three laps to go. He overtook the British driver on the final lap to claim victory at his home circuit, leaving Russell 66 points behind in the Drivers' Championship with ten races still to run.
Russell explained his perspective: “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 little annoyed by the timing of that VSC because, as Max said, it would have been difficult for those on the medium to match anyone on the hard.
But that doesn’t take anything away from Kimi’s performance.” Mercedes’ decision to split strategies was driven by the data they had at the time. Team principal Toto Wolff later revealed that their simulation tools indicated Russell’s hard‑tyre plan would be quicker overall, while Antonelli’s medium‑tyre run was expected to get close but not overtake. The team believed the hard tyre could act as a "forever tyre," lasting the remainder of the race, whereas the medium compound offered higher pace but required an extra pit stop.
Had both drivers pitted together, Antonelli would likely have been caught in the pit lane for a few seconds, losing track position to Max Verstappen, who also pitted under the VSC. Russell told Sky Sports F1: "The VSC came at an awkward time.
I don’t think the team knew exactly what the right strategy was, and because Max was in the fight, they decided to split the strategy, which was probably the right thing for the team. In hindsight it’s easy to say I should have pitted, or if I had won they would say Kimi should have stayed out. I would have liked a fight with Kimi – it was a nice battle and I felt I was holding my own at that point.
That was probably another reason the team wanted us on different strategies. I get it." Naomi Schiff of Sky Sports F1 added her take: "I don’t know why he isn’t a little more frustrated, if I’m honest.
If you’ve given everything, you think you’ve executed the best plan, and then your teammate wins outright after starting from P19, maybe there isn’t much to be angry about, except that Kimi is going to be incredibly tough to beat this season." Wolff’s comments underscored the technical nuance: "The differentiator today was the ability to navigate traffic, something we’ve seen with other great drivers. Lewis showed it in past races, and Kimi demonstrated it today. When a driver and a car become one, nothing can stop them." Going into the weekend, many expected Antonelli to lose ground to his closest rivals – Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris – but the opposite happened. Antonelli extended his championship lead, while Russell now faces a grid‑penalty situation because he lacks enough allocated engines to finish the season without a penalty, meaning he may have to start from the back in an upcoming race.
Despite the setback, Russell says he is not dwelling on the title fight. He is focusing on the positives of recent performances at Monza and Zandvoort, noting that the team’s competitiveness has improved compared to the pre‑summer break events.
"We are where we are. Kimi’s been driving incredibly this season and deserves to be leading the championship and he’s got a healthy lead," Russell said.
"I’m not thinking about the fight or the comeback. I’m just thinking about going to every race and trying to win it. It will be what it will be. I’m not putting any 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." Looking ahead, the Formula 1 calendar moves to Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix at the brand‑new Madring circuit. All sessions will be broadcast live from Friday on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW – no contract required and cancel anytime. The upcoming race will test whether Mercedes continues to juggle dual strategies or opts for a unified approach, and whether Russell can close the gap to Antonelli while navigating the engine‑penalty challenge that looms over his future grid positions.