Brundle says Russell must demand answers from Mercedes after VSC call cost him Monza win

A virtual safety car call at the Italian Grand Prix may have cost George Russell victory at Monza, with former F1 driver Martin Brundle demanding the Briton seek a full explanation from Mercedes. While Russell remained on hard tyres during the VSC period, team-mate Kimi Antonelli was brought in for fresh mediums and used the tyre advantage to climb through the field and take the win at his home race.

“It’s been a very difficult day for George Russell,” Brundle said. “He will have to surely sit down and talk to the team, and ask, ‘How did that happen? I was leading the race. Why was I not given the preferential cheap pit stop there?’”

The result was particularly damaging for Russell in the championship context. Antonelli had taken a power unit penalty at Monza, starting from the back of the grid and handing Russell a prime opportunity to cut into the standings deficit. Instead, the gap grew. Antonelli now leads the drivers’ championship by 66 points over Russell following his seventh F1 victory.

“For the world championship, this was George’s opportunity to do something about the deficit, and the deficit has grown,” Brundle added.

Naomi Schiff, also analysing the race, echoed the sentiment. “I think maybe the reason we’ve seen him be so calm about it right now is because he’s probably questioning himself a little bit as well, and why he wasn’t able to get more of an advantage,” she said. “But I think with hindsight, he will be asking questions, like, ‘Why did I not get to pit during the VSC?’”

Schiff acknowledged that Mercedes had intended Russell to run a longer strategy, but argued the circumstances changed the calculus. “Yes, he was on a different strategy and they wanted him to go long, but at the end of the day, a fresher set of tyres could have saved him the victory today.”

The episode raises pointed questions about how Mercedes manages its two title contenders when their strategies diverge at a critical moment in the season. With Antonelli’s lead now standing at 66 points, Russell has little margin for further strategic misfortune.