Did Sergio Perez cost George Russell Italian GP victory?
Kimi Antonelli came from 19th on the grid to win at Monza
As questions are asked about Mercedes’ strategy at the Italian Grand Prix, Sky F1 pundit Nico Rosberg says George Russell’s 50-lap run on the hard tyres may not have cost him the win to Kimi Antonelli.
Instead, it may have been Sergio Perez, who joined Antonelli in pitting behind the Virtual Safety Car, and came out ahead of Russell.
Nico Rosberg explains George Russell’s Mercedes strategy dilemma
Russell and Antonelli put on a thrilling show at Monza on Sunday as the Mercedes teammates fought for the race win.
Although Russell lined up second on the grid with Antonelli down in 19th place, Antonelli clinched victory by 3.857s over the Briton.
It raised questions about the teammates’ strategies.
While Russell swapped from the medium Pirelli tyres to the hard rubber when the race was red-flagged on Lap 3, Antonelli swapped from the hard tyres to the mediums.
A Virtual Safety Car on Lap 28 saw Antonelli pit for a second set of new medium tyres, while Russell, who didn’t have a fresh set, stayed out.
Antonelli made short work of those ahead of him to climb to second place to fight Russell for the lead. He made the telling pass with four laps remaining and immediately broke free of overtake mode’s one second.
Pundits pondered whether Mercedes’ split strategies had cost Russell.
“It’s very clear internally in the team, okay? George is leading the race,” Rosberg told Sky F1.
“He gets the best strategy to get in the fastest way possible to the end of the race.
“He gets the first choice. Doesn’t matter where Kimi is or what he’s doing or whatever. He gets it.
“And that’s what Mercedes now needs to confirm.
“At that point for George, the best way was to stay out and not come in and take those medium tyres. And if that’s the case, then it’s all easy and fair.”
However, Russell may have given the biggest clue yet as to what went wrong when he spoke with Max Verstappen in the cooldown room after the race.
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“I had Perez come out of the pits in front of me,” he told the Red Bull driver, who joined the Mercedes teammates on the podium. “And it was plus four seconds on the delta.”
Four seconds was Russell’s deficit at the chequered flag.
It had Rosberg pondering if that, more than strategy, cost Russell the win at Monza.
“In the cooldown room, George said, ‘I lost four seconds in the VSC because of Perez going too slowly.’
“Which might again show us that his strategy was a good one because that was actually there, the race win lost in that Perez problem.”
The German was quick to dismiss the suggestion that Mercedes wanted Antonelli to win given he is leading the championship.
“Equal opportunity for both,” was Rosberg’s firm reply.
“It has to be, and that is the case. They’re racing for the championship.”
Antonelli’s Monza victory extended his advantage in the standings to 66 points, with Lewis Hamilton a further 10 off the pace.
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