Mercedes has defended its decision to ask George Russell to let Kimi Antonelli through late in the Dutch Grand Prix, insisting it secured a double podium and that they would do the same again if the roles were reversed.
On lap 55 at Zandvoort, Esteban Ocon triggered a virtual safety car. At the time, Antonelli was second and Russell fourth, split by Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton. Both Ferraris pitted that lap, with Antonelli coming in one lap later, which promoted Russell to second.
On fresher soft tyres, Antonelli closed in on Russell, who was told to let his team-mate through. Despite initial reservations, Russell complied and then defended third from the Ferraris. Antonelli couldn't catch winner Lando Norris and settled for second.
In the team's Monday debrief, deputy team principal Bradley Lord explained the reasoning. "The decision seemed good, to be honest," he said. "George naturally questioned it at first, but then understood the bigger picture."
Lord added that if Russell had pitted at the same time, he would have dropped behind a Ferrari and lost the podium. "We were very clear in the Sunday morning strategy meeting that we couldn't afford to lose time with our two drivers fighting each other," he explained.
He also stressed the decision was purely for the team's benefit. "If it had been the other way around, we would have done exactly the same to give ourselves the best chance of a P2 finish and give the car in third clear air to hold position," he concluded.
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