As the lights went out at Monza, George Russell might have thought victory was within reach. But the 2026 Italian Grand Prix had an unexpected twist: teammate Kimi Antonelli, who started 19th after an engine penalty, stormed through to claim his seventh win of the season. That left one big question—why didn't Mercedes switch Russell's tyre strategy while there was still time?
The answer came from team boss Toto Wolff, who admitted candidly that the team had no chance to alter Russell's race plan. The crucial moment arrived when a late Virtual Safety Car was triggered by Lance Stroll stopping on track. Antonelli pitted for fresh medium tyres, while Russell was forced to stay out on worn hards.
“There was no chance,” Wolff told Sky Sports. “We needed to go on the one-stop; there was no option.” By then, the team had realised Antonelli's two-stop strategy was stronger, but the timing made it impossible to call Russell in without losing track position.
The battle between the two Mercedes drivers was tense, with positions swapping several times in the laps before the VSC. But Russell's hard tyres faded in the final laps, allowing Antonelli to pass him for the lead. Russell finished second, now 66 points behind Antonelli in the standings.
Wolff praised Antonelli for keeping his head down and taking no risks early on, calling his drive "amazing." He added that nothing could have stopped the Italian on the day. Ferrari, meanwhile, had a nightmare home race: Charles Leclerc crashed out on lap two, and Lewis Hamilton struggled for grip all race, finishing sixth.
The result further cements Antonelli's championship lead and shows Mercedes now has a driver pairing capable of pushing each other hard. But the strategic misstep serves as a lesson: in an era of high tyre degradation, tactical flexibility can be the difference between victory and just another podium.
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