Toto Wolff firmly defends Mercedes’ strategy at Monza and rejects accusations that George Russell was disadvantaged in favor of Kimi Antonelli.
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Toto Wolff was not pleased with the criticism directed at Mercedes after their one-two finish at the Italian Grand Prix. The German team had chosen to pit Kimi Antonelli during the virtual safety car, while George Russell, then the leader, stayed out. This decision ultimately allowed the Italian to benefit from fresher tires to overtake his teammate and win the race.
Some observers have since suggested that Mercedes should have prioritized Russell, who was in first place at the time of the virtual safety car intervention. An interpretation categorically rejected by Wolff, who insists that the strategies for both drivers were different and that his team made the right decision.
Wolff defends Mercedes’ strategy
Antonelli had started the race on hard tires and therefore had to use a different compound before the finish. The virtual safety car intervention was an ideal opportunity to switch to mediums while significantly limiting time lost in the pits.
The situation was different for Russell. The Brit had already made his stop and was running on hard tires, a compound that was supposed to last until the end. Before the weekend, Pirelli had also estimated that a one-stop strategy was the most effective option at Monza, where managing rear tire temperature was more concerning than pure degradation.
“No, what we did was absolutely the right decision. George was on hard tires and the one-stop strategy was considered the best option. The mediums were a compromise and we had to put them on Kimi’s car since he started on hards.”
For Wolff, pitting Russell as well would have meant abandoning a strategy that was working perfectly to take advantage of an opportunity he didn’t really need.
“It’s complete nonsense”
The Mercedes boss was even more forceful when questioned about accusations that Russell was sacrificed for Antonelli. The latter now leads the championship by 66 points over his teammate after his home victory.
“There was simply no reason to do that. Obviously, some armchair warriors will leave their comments after watching other content online claiming that George was penalized.”
Wolff then did not mince words in describing this theory.
“It’s complete nonsense. Sorry, I should rather say it’s rubbish.”
Mercedes’ decision did play an important role in the race outcome. Antonelli was able to use his fresher mediums to catch up to Russell before overtaking him in the final laps. The Italian ultimately won by 3.8 seconds, giving Mercedes a particularly valuable one-two finish.
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Antonelli extends championship lead
This victory also strengthened Antonelli’s position in the championship. The young Italian now holds a 66-point lead over Russell, his main rival, while Mercedes enjoys a comfortable 122-point margin over Ferrari in the constructors’ standings.
This situation also explains why the Monza strategy raised so many questions. With two drivers occupying the top two spots in the championship, every decision made by Mercedes can now have a direct impact on the title fight.
Wolff nevertheless rejects the idea that his team favored Antonelli. According to him, Mercedes simply adapted to the respective strategies of its two drivers and the circumstances offered by the virtual safety car.
Mercedes still aiming for pole in Madrid
The Mercedes boss spoke after the FP3 session of the Spanish Grand Prix, once again dominated by Antonelli. The Italian set a time of 1’32″797, beating Charles Leclerc by 166 thousandths, while Russell only finished sixth, 702 thousandths behind his teammate.
These gaps do not seem to worry Wolff ahead of qualifying. After seeing Mercedes dominate the first two days at the Madrid circuit, the Austrian believes his team has enough performance to aim for the front positions.
“I think if we manage to put everything together, we can fight for pole and the front row. But it could fluctuate a lot, with several drivers grouped within a tenth.”
Under these conditions, the slightest detail could cause significant changes in the hierarchy.
“So you can very easily find yourself on the good side of that gap… or the bad.”
After sharply dismissing the criticism surrounding the Monza strategy, Wolff prefers to focus on Madrid. And despite the seven-tenths separating Antonelli and Russell during FP3, Mercedes remains confident it can place both cars at the front when the times really count.
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