"We didn't know what was the better strategy," admits Toto Wolff, as George Russell's title hopes fade.

Despite the fact that Antonelli was very much a man on a mission, his cause during the Italian Grand Prix was very much helped by the decision to pit him under the VSC that followed Lance Stroll's retirement, especially when the German team opted to leave his teammate out.

Antonelli, who had been running second behind Russell, and Verstappen, who had been running third, both pitted under the VSC, as did five other drivers.

Rejoining in sixth and seventh, the pair began working their way back through the field, so that within nine laps Antonelli was back up to second, albeit around 8s behind Russell, while Verstappen was now yo-yoing with Oscar Piastri for third.

Russell was still on the tyres he'd switched to after the race was red-flagged at the end of Lap 2, and clearly struggling, while his cause was not helped by the fact that one of his tyres was damaged.

As Antonelli reeled him in, the big question was why didn't Mercedes pit both cars?

"We didn't know what was the better strategy," admitted Toto Wolff. "At that stage, the system said that the one-stop comes out ahead and that two-stop was coming close to the end but wouldn't catch.

"That's what the software said," he insisted. "So you've got to hedge a bet at a certain stage, and that was pretty clear the obvious hedge."

Strategy aside, the Austrian admits that he was fully confident that one of his drivers would be standing atop the podium at race end.

"I thought one of the two is going to win," he said. "Either George, because he was on pole, or Kimi because he's going to walk over water here in Monza. And I felt that yesterday also."

Asked why he remained confident about Antonelli, who started the race from 19th on the grid due an engine penalty, he said: "It's been a while that I've seen driver's energy levels, attitude, mind-set, or behavioural pattern, and I knew that that was his mission today, to win the race.

"I chatted with his father yesterday. The father also saw that coming," said the Austrian. "These are the moments where you can see how a weekend is panning out through the sessions that a special moment could come."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by ffracer, 09/09/2026 1:01

"@JamesD and @Chester - I enjoy reading your educated posts... but I have to throw my hand up here. Help me understand how George Russell got screwed by the team. Russell started from the front row while his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, started from 19th!! Russell elected to start the race on hards while Antonelli ensured that he had two sets of mediums for the race. Different strategies for the two sister cars from the beginning, strategies clear and previously discussed before the race... on a race that George Russell had one of two of the fastest racecars yesterday and didn't capitalize on a front row start and leave the field in the dust. That is the sad reality, not the conspiracy theory emanating from sceptics. Kimi Antonelli simply drove past him. Again. George Russell can only be gracious in defeat with an astonishing Kimi Antonelli clinic, on the absolute edge and making the most of an incredible Mercedes racecar."

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2. Posted by Chester, 07/09/2026 19:05

"Clear preference for Antonelli. Horse manure talk from Toto."

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3. Posted by JamesD, 07/09/2026 12:12

"I would have to say, as the lead driver, George got screwed over by the team. I always thought the leading driver in the team got first call / preferential service."

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