Montoya criticises Mercedes: They Should Have Prioritised Russell in the Pit-Stop Strategy at Monza

Kimi Antonelli's victory at Monza is a fairytale, but behind it lies a controversial strategic decision. Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes Mercedes compromised George Russell's race by not pitting him at the same time as his teammate during the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period. Last weekend at Monza, Mercedes secured a 1-2 finish. Kimi Antonelli, the Italian driver, started from 19th position and rose to become the first Italian driver to win here since 2026. But in the early laps, George Russell was the one controlling the pace and was the prime candidate for victory. A mid-race VSC period changed everything. Russell, who was leading at the time, was not called into the pits while Antonelli was given new tyres. Antonelli later overtook Russell to take the win. On F1 TV's post-race show, Montoya argued that Mercedes should have given Russell the priority pitstop. "He was leading and he should have had the priority on the pitstop. When that virtual safety car came, at that point, it's quicker to stop than staying out. They should have stopped him, they should have double-stacked him, and he should have stopped ahead of Antonelli," the Colombian explained. "And I'm not saying Antonelli wouldn't still catch him and win the race, but it would have been a really close fight like we saw earlier on. It would have been a really cool race at the end for all of us." Team chief Toto Wolff addressed claims the Brackley outfit's strategy favoured Antonelli. "The two-stop was the best but we didn't think it was the case, so that was good for him actually," he told Sky Sports F1 after the race. "But today there was nothing that would have stopped him [Antonelli]. George fought with worn-out tools at the end, so I'm really happy for the one-two." When asked if there were any other options for Russell, Wolff added: "No, George was on the hard and we needed to go on the one-stop so there was no chance." But is Montoya's analysis correct? Looking closer, this situation raises questions about how teams handle VSC scenarios when they have two drivers in leading positions. At the time the VSC occurred, Russell was leading, which means if Mercedes had called both drivers in, Russell would have pitted first and Antonelli second. But by only pitting Antonelli, Russell was forced to stay out on old tyres. Antonelli then had fresh tyres and was significantly faster than Russell, who had to struggle with decreasing grip. A crucial factor is that Russell was on hard tyres, while Antonelli switched to mediums. Wolff claimed that a two-stop was not the best option, but Montoya disagrees. He points out that under VSC, the time lost by pitting is minimal, making an additional stop less risky. In reality, choosing to pit under VSC could have helped Russell maintain his lead if he had pitted immediately. If he had pitted at the same time as Antonelli, he would have come out ahead, because he was leading. Leaving him out instead gave Antonelli the advantage of fresh tyres, and that was the decisive point. This is not the first time a team has faced a difficult decision between two drivers. In F1 history, many teams have prioritised one driver to secure a win, sometimes to the detriment of the other. Mercedes chose a strategy that seemed safer but carried the inherent risk of losing the lead. Russell will surely feel disappointed to lose the win to his teammate in a situation where he was not allowed to defend his position. However, Wolff has insisted there was no favouritism, simply the team's strategy at that moment. This shows that in races with VSC, pitting early can make a huge difference. Teams need to evaluate quicker and more accurately. Montoya is one of those with real racing experience, and his criticism is not without foundation. As for Mercedes, they got the 1-2, a great result for the team. However, the way they handled this situation could leave a crack in the relationship between the drivers. Will Russell easily accept this defeat? He still has opportunities to fight in the upcoming races. From a tactical standpoint, this is a classic situation illustrating the importance of reading the situation and making immediate decisions. VSC is a golden opportunity to change tyres without losing much time. Not taking advantage of it for both drivers is a mistake, at least in Montoya's view. Fans may talk about this decision multiple times throughout the season. If Antonelli keeps winning and Russell keeps having bad luck, questions about fairness within the team will grow. In a race where Antonelli's speed was undeniable, the strategic story is the most talked-about. Perhaps Mercedes had a perfect plan to put Antonelli on the top step, but the price they paid was Russell's trust. Is that a worthwhile trade-off? The future will tell. For now, Montoya has offered a perspective that many fans and pundits feel has merit.