Russell Bewildered by Verstappen's Monza Dominance

George Russell was left bewildered by Max Verstappen's emphatic victory at Monza, calling Formula 1 "a funny sport" after Red Bull's stunning rebound from recent struggles. Verstappen dominated the Italian Grand Prix, winning by over 19 seconds, a stark contrast to his ninth-place finish in Hungary just weeks prior.

Why it matters

Verstappen's sudden, overwhelming pace highlights the volatility of F1 performance and raises questions for rival teams like Mercedes. Mercedes faced a challenging weekend, struggling to match the front-runners and dealing with strategic missteps and rookie difficulties.

The details

• Russell's Qualifying Regret: Russell topped Q1 but believed a Q3 tyre switch to softs denied him a better grid position, potentially ahead of Ferrari. He finished P5.
• Race Struggles: During the race, Russell got stuck behind Charles Leclerc, pushing too hard and damaging his tyres, which Toto Wolff believed cost him dearly.
• Antonelli's Challenging Weekend: Rookie Kimi Antonelli finished ninth after a five-second penalty. His race was compromised by a poor launch due to wheelspin, though he noted an improvement in qualifying, a previous weakness.

The bottom line

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff admitted Verstappen's pace "made everyone else look silly." He stated that a fifth and eighth place finish were "absolutely not satisfactory" and that Mercedes' current setup doesn't allow for consistent podium finishes. Wolff also pointed out Antonelli's mistakes and Russell's less-than-smooth race. For Mercedes, Verstappen's Monza performance is a stark reminder of the gap to the benchmark.