Montoya: Mercedes Should Have Double-Stacked Russell and Antonelli at Monza

Monza, where the grandstands were painted in Italian colors, witnessed Andrea Kimi Antonelli become the first Italian winner at the circuit since 2026. But the 1-2 finish does not tell the full story. George Russell led the majority of the race, only to lose control when a virtual safety car mid-race prompted Mercedes to bring Antonelli in but leave him out. Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya argued on F1 TV that Mercedes should have double-stacked the cars and given Russell priority to pit before Antonelli. Under VSC, pitting costs far less time, because the entire field is slowed. Montoya said Russell was leading and should have been protected, adding that Antonelli might still have won, but it would have been a fair fight. Toto Wolff defended the one-stop and said nothing could have stopped Antonelli, while acknowledging Russell was fighting on worn tyres at the end. The analysis suggests Mercedes protected a young Italian asset with enormous commercial potential, but damaged the confidence of its more experienced driver. A team cannot let a home crowd narrative override basic strategic hierarchy. The real lesson from Monza is that every pit stop is a market signal, and the market values clarity.