Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted the on-track battle between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell at the Italian Grand Prix “could have ended in disaster” and left the team looking “like idiots” after the pair traded the lead repeatedly at Monza.
Antonelli’s Charge from 19th Sets Up Teammate Duel
Starting 19th on the grid due to a power-unit penalty, Antonelli carved through the field to reach second place within 16 laps. A 12-lap wheel-to-wheel fight with Russell followed, with the Silver Arrows swapping the race lead several times before a virtual safety car (VSC) period allowed Antonelli to pit. He rejoined 14 seconds behind his teammate but, on fresher tyres, closed the gap rapidly and launched a decisive attack with six laps remaining.
Late-Race Scare at Turn 2
The climax arrived on lap 49 when Russell ran wide at Turn 2 while defending, and Antonelli slid into the gravel trap on the marbles. Both cars recovered to secure a Mercedes 1-2 — Antonelli leading Russell by four seconds, with Max Verstappen third, 15 seconds adrift — but the moment left Wolff visibly tense.
Wolff: “We Would Have Looked Like Idiots”
Speaking after the race, Wolff revealed he had his finger on the radio button to intervene but held back.
“We’re trying to anticipate possible scenarios, and the two of them have been great in understanding and embracing the team component – which is difficult for a race driver that tries to win a grand prix, especially for Kimi in Monza, especially for George, who needs to keep scoring points in order to stay in the Toto Wolff uneasy as Mercedes drivers fought at Monza: “That could have ended in disaster” race,” the Austrian pondered. “But they’ve always been clean.”
“At times, we were thinking, ‘It’s clean, but it’s a bit close’. And I had a finger on the button to Marcus, to Bono, to Kimi, to George, but I didn’t push it.”
“The last incident was unfortunate. George tried to not cut the corner, and Kimi then obviously on the marbles, going straight, and that could have ended up in a disaster when it comes to the race result. We would have looked like idiots.”
“We will be talking about that situation as another building block of how we want to race in the future. But I think it was worth to show the racing spirit in the team and have them go at each other.”
Russell Ruues Lost Duel After VSC Pitstop
Russell acknowledged parallels to the drawn-out Mercedes fight at the Canadian Grand Prix but expressed frustration that the VSC timing ended their extended battle.
“I would have loved to have continued on the same strategy because I felt in a good position in that battle,” he said. “I sort of knew exactly what I needed to do with the energy management to defend, but also when to attack and make those moves, and I put a lot of preparation into this race in that regard.
“Then, of course, when the VSC came out, it kind of came out at that perfect point for the drivers to pull the trigger and take the pitstop. And, yeah, here we are.”
Championship Implications
With his fifth consecutive winless weekend, Russell now trails Antonelli by 66 points in the drivers’ standings, underscoring the shifting dynamic within the Mercedes garage as the Italian rookie announces himself as a genuine title contender.
