“No chance” - Mercedes explains strategy that cost George Russell Monza F1 win

Mercedes Formula 1 team boss Toto Wolff says there was “no chance” to alter George Russell’s tyre strategy at the Italian Grand Prix, after he lost the race to Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Mercedes came away from the Monza race with a 1-2, as Kimi Antonelli came from 19th on the grid after an engine penalty to score his seventh win of the season.

He overhauled long-time-leading team-mate George Russell in the closing stages of the race, having been pitted for fresh medium tyres under a late virtual safety car.

Russell, meanwhile, was left out on the hard tyres that he took the restart on to go to the finish.

“We needed to go on the one-stop”

Russell offered a magnanimous response to his defeat in parc ferme, but it comes two weeks after being told to move aside for Antonelli at Zandvoort.

He is now 66 points adrift of Antonelli in the standings.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Wolff says Mercedes didn’t expect Antonelli’s two-stop strategy to be the strongest one, while admitting it had no choice but to let Russell go to the end.

“[Antonelli] kept his head down, took no risks at the beginning with the restarts, and then one by one. An amazing drive,” he said.

“Yeah, it was, after all, the two-stop was the best.

“But we didn’t think it was it the case.

“So, that was good for him. But today there was nothing that could have stopped him.

“I’m really happy. And obviously George fought with worn-out tools at the end.

“So, I’m really happy for the one and two. No, he was on the hard.

“We needed to go on the one-stop; there was no chance.”

Antonelli’s championship position has also been strengthened by a difficult weekend for Ferrari on home soil at Monza.

Charles Leclerc crashed out on lap two at the last corner, while Lewis Hamilton struggled to sixth in the sister car.

Now 66 points clear of Russell, he is 76 ahead of third-placed Hamilton heading into next weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid.