Kimi Antonelli beats teammate George Russell at the Italian Grand Prix, partly due to a better strategy: Expert Martin Brundle therefore advises the Brit to have a talk with the team
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli raced from 19th on the grid to victory at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza—and with this comeback, he particularly humiliated his teammate George Russell. The Briton had started the race from second on the grid but still crossed the finish line behind the Italian.
“It was a very difficult day for George Russell,” agrees former Formula 1 driver and Sky expert Martin Brundle. The main reason for the Briton’s defeat was a different strategy: While Russell wanted to continue on hard tires after the interruption, Antonelli’s team initially opted for the medium compound.
During the virtual safety car period following Lance Stroll’s (Aston Martin) retirement, the championship leader pitted. The 20-year-old then consistently capitalized on his tire advantage to work his way back to the front of the field and pass his teammate with just a few laps to go.
Brundle therefore sees a need for discussion within the Silver Arrows. “[Russell] will certainly have to sit down with the team and ask: ‘How could this happen? I was leading the race. Why wasn’t I given the preferred, advantageous pit stop there?’”
A fresh tire could have secured the victory for Russell
After all, Russell had actually started the Monza race with high hopes. “For the World Championship, this was George’s chance to do something about the gap—and the gap has grown,” Brundle recalls, referring to the Drivers’ Championship.
Former W Series driver and Sky analyst Naomi Schiff agreed with her colleague’s assessment. “I think maybe the reason we’re seeing him so calm right now is that he’s probably questioning himself a bit and wondering why he couldn’t capitalize on it more.”
“But I think, in hindsight, he’ll ask questions like, ‘Why couldn’t I come into the pits during the VSC phase?’” the race car driver adds. “Yes, he was on a different strategy, and they wanted him to stay out for a long time. But ultimately, a fresher set of tires could have secured him the win today.”
Now the situation is even clearer: Kimi Antonelli, who celebrated his seventh victory of the season at his home race in Monza, was able to further extend his lead and now tops the World Championship standings with a 66-point lead over teammate George Russell.