Mercedes Kept Russell Out Under Lap-27 VSC as Software Backed 1-Stop Win

3 articles · Updated · Motorsport.com · Sep 6

Toto Wolff said Mercedes did not pit George Russell under Monza’s lap-27 virtual safety car because its software still projected his one-stop strategy would win.
Russell had switched from mediums to hards after Charles Leclerc’s early red-flag crash, while Kimi Antonelli—starting on hards—was committed to a medium-tyre route that made him the logical car to stop.
Antonelli took fresh mediums under the VSC, rejoined, and later passed Russell to win after Mercedes split strategies to cover both scenarios with Max Verstappen also in contention.
Wolff said the team saw tyre abrasion elsewhere and stopped Antonelli without a long discussion despite his report that the tyres still felt good; Russell said the VSC arrived at the perfect moment for rivals to pit.
The result left Russell 66 points behind Antonelli in the championship, sharpening the intra-Mercedes title fight.