Mercedes compromised George Russell at Monza? Montoya points to pit-stop mistake

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza ended with Andrea Kimi Antonelli bringing his Mercedes number 12 across the line ahead of George Russell. It was the first win by an Italian driver at home since 2026, a historic milestone. But beneath Mercedes' 1-2 finish lies a strategic grey area that former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya says cost Russell his chance at victory. On lap 42, when the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed, Russell was leading. Mercedes pitted Antonelli but left Russell out. Antonelli, who started 19th, came back and overtook Russell for the win. On F1 TV's post-race show, Montoya argued this was almost inexplicable. "Russell was leading and should have had priority on the pitstop. When that VSC came, it was quicker to stop than staying out. They should have stopped him, double-stacked him, and he would have come out ahead of Antonelli," Montoya said. "I'm not saying Antonelli would not have caught and won, but it would have been a close fight. It would have been a cool race for everyone." Toto Wolff defended the strategy, telling Sky Sports F1 that the two-stop was best for Antonelli, and nothing could have stopped him. He said Russell fought with worn tires, and there was no other option because Russell was on hards and needed a one-stop strategy. Mercedes' decision not to pit the leading car under VSC is a tactical error that should be analyzed deeply. A leader must be the priority in any pit-stop call. The grey area remains why the team chose to protect one strategy over its leading driver. The implications for team harmony and future races are significant.