Despite his praise for Andrea Kimi Antonelli after the Italian Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted he was close to intervening when the battle between Antonelli and George Russell became increasingly intense at Monza.
Antonelli started 19th after Mercedes changed multiple power-unit components and exceeded the permitted allocation. A long opening stint on hard tyres and the red flag caused by Charles Leclerc’s crash then reshaped his strategy.
After switching to mediums for the restart, Antonelli charged through the field and reached the lead on lap 18. Russell, running a different strategy on hard tyres, remained close behind, with the Mercedes teammates exchanging positions during an increasingly tense fight.
Mercedes eventually asked both drivers to focus on building a gap to Max Verstappen rather than fighting at maximum intensity. The battle resumed later in the race, however, after Antonelli made his second pit stop under the Virtual Safety Car and returned with fresher tyres.
Wolff was ready to intervene
The repeated position changes between the Mercedes drivers left Wolff increasingly concerned about the risk of the two cars coming together.
The team principal admitted he was prepared to contact the drivers or their race engineers if the battle crossed the line.
“At times, we were thinking it’s clean, but it’s a bit close, and I had my finger on the button, to Marcus, to Bono, to Kimi, to George, but didn’t push it,” Wolff said.
Marcus Dudley is Russell’s race engineer, while Peter “Bono” Bonnington works with Antonelli. Mercedes ultimately allowed the drivers to continue racing, with neither driver making contact during their fight.
The situation was particularly delicate because Russell was still trying to keep his championship hopes alive, while Antonelli arrived at Monza as the clear 2026 title leader.
Antonelli eventually used his fresher medium tyres to catch Russell again and reclaim the lead with two laps remaining. The victory increased his championship advantage over Russell from 59 to 66 points.
Antonelli’s late mistake nearly changed everything
The closest Mercedes came to throwing away the result came shortly before the finish.
On lap 49 of 53, Antonelli attacked Russell into the first chicane but ran wide after hitting broken-up asphalt and ended up in the gravel. The Italian managed to continue without losing the lead, but Wolff admitted the incident could have had much more serious consequences.
“The last incident was unfortunate. George tried not to cut the corner, and Kimi then, obviously, on the marbles went straight, and that could have ended up in a disaster when it comes to the race result, and we would have been like idiots,” Wolff said.
Antonelli himself admitted after the race that the moment had been frightening and that he initially believed he had thrown away his chance of victory. He nevertheless recovered to finish ahead of Russell and take his seventh win of the 2026 season.
Wolff said Mercedes would review the incident as part of its approach to managing the rivalry between its two drivers.
“So we will be talking about that situation as another building block of how to go and race in the future. But I think it showed the racing spirit in the team and have them war with each other,” he added.
Mercedes praises drivers for keeping battle clean
Despite his concerns, Wolff highlighted the respect shown by both Russell and Antonelli throughout the race.
The Mercedes pair repeatedly fought for track position while running different tyre strategies, but avoided the kind of contact that could have ended the team’s hopes of a 1-2 finish.
Wolff said the drivers had demonstrated an understanding of the team’s interests despite both having strong reasons to fight. Antonelli was chasing a historic home victory, while Russell needed maximum points to maintain pressure in the championship.
The result ultimately delivered Mercedes’ first 1-2 finish at Monza since 2015, while Antonelli became the first Italian to win his home Grand Prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.
Mercedes now heads to Madrid with Antonelli holding a 66-point advantage over Russell in the Drivers’ Championship. The Italian has 267 points, compared with Russell’s 201, while Lewis Hamilton is third on 191.
The Formula 1 season resumes from September 11-13 with the Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s new MADRING street circuit. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action from the 14th round of the 2026 season.
FAQ
How big is Kimi Antonelli’s F1 championship lead over George Russell?
Antonelli leads Russell by 66 points after winning the Italian GP at Monza. The Mercedes driver has 267 points, while Russell has 201.
Can George Russell still challenge Antonelli for the 2026 F1 title?
Russell remains mathematically in contention, but Antonelli has built a substantial advantage with seven victories in the first 13 Grands Prix. Russell has also said he is no longer focusing on a potential comeback and instead wants to win as many races as possible.
When is the next 2026 F1 race?
The next race is the Spanish Grand Prix, which will take place from September 11-13 at Madrid’s new MADRING street circuit. It will be the 14th round of the 2026 F1 season.
