Antonelli wins at Monza after Mercedes splits strategy

Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after overtaking Mercedes team-mate George Russell with three laps remaining, completing a recovery from 19th on the grid.

Mercedes split its strategy when a Virtual Safety Car was called with 25 laps remaining. Antonelli was brought in for medium tyres, while Russell stayed out on hard tyres. The decision left the team-mates about 15 seconds apart when racing resumed.

Russell said the strategy split was probably the right decision for Mercedes, given the race circumstances and the team’s computer projections. Mercedes believed the hard-tyre strategy would be faster, with Antonelli expected to close the gap without catching Russell.

Antonelli instead moved through traffic quickly before catching Russell and taking the lead late in the race. Russell said the decision meant he lost the opportunity to fight his team-mate for victory, while also accepting that changing both cars’ strategies could have compromised track position.

The result gives Antonelli a 66-point lead over Russell with 10 rounds remaining, according to the Sky Sports report. Russell also faces a possible grid penalty in an upcoming race because Mercedes does not have enough engines to complete the season without one.

Formula 1 now moves to Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit.