Montoya Blasts Mercedes: Did They Rob George Russell of a Monza Win?

Monza, the temple of speed, produced a Hollywood story for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, but not without controversy. Mercedes celebrated a 1-2 result after Antonelli charged from P19 to claim Italy's first home win since 2026. George Russell, who led the early part of the race, had to settle for second and found himself at the centre of a tactical debate. Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya accused Mercedes of compromising Russell's race by not pitting him under the virtual safety car. Russell dominated most of the opening phase and looked certain to convert his advantage into victory. Then the VSC was deployed mid-race, and Mercedes called only Antonelli into the pits. Russell remained on track with worn tyres, losing to Antonelli later. Montoya said on F1 TV: 'He was leading and he should have had priority on the pitstop. They should have stopped him, should have double-stacked him, so he could come out ahead of Antonelli.' Montoya conceded Antonelli might still have caught and won, but it would have been a much closer fight. Toto Wolff defended the strategy: 'George was on the hard and we needed to go on the one-stop so there was no chance.' The team principal said nothing could have stopped Antonelli, and that Russell fought with worn-out tools at the end. The debate highlights an inescapable truth of Formula 1: a VSC window is a golden opportunity, and for a leading driver not to use it can change the entire script of a race weekend. Whether Mercedes made a biased call or simply chose team safety, the visual of Russell watching Antonelli sail past will linger.