Qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza produced a surprise pole position for Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, leaving Mercedes frustrated after George Russell had appeared to have a strong chance of starting from the front.
Toto Wolff believes Max Verstappen played a decisive role in disrupting Mercedes’ carefully prepared slipstream strategy during the final Q3 run.
Mercedes had a clear plan for Q3
Mercedes had planned to use the slipstream effect on Monza’s long straights to maximise Russell’s qualifying performance. Russell and Kimi Antonelli followed the McLaren drivers out of the pit lane for their final attempts, with Verstappen also joining the train.
However, the Red Bull driver quickly lost contact with the cars ahead after braking too late for the opening chicane. That changed the dynamic of the group and ultimately prevented Mercedes from executing its intended strategy.
Verstappen subsequently compromised his own final lap preparation by lifting off the throttle before the Parabolica. He allowed Antonelli through but then rejoined the racing line directly ahead of Russell.
“I think Max was pretty clever there”
The situation left Mercedes unable to arrange the slipstream it had wanted, with Russell forced to run close behind Verstappen rather than benefiting from the intended tow.
Wolff was clearly unimpressed with how the final run unfolded.
“We were outsmarted by Max in the preparation for the final run,” complained the Mercedes team principal.
Speaking about the incident in greater detail, Wolff suggested Verstappen may have deliberately manipulated the situation to disrupt both Mercedes cars.
“I think Max was quite clever there.”
According to Wolff, Verstappen slowed down at precisely the wrong moment for Mercedes and created a situation in which Antonelli and Russell became caught behind him.
“He simply slowed down and made sure Kimi and George were tangled up. George was far too close to Max for the entire lap, which cost us both time,” explained Wolff.
The Mercedes boss also acknowledged that his team had played a part in the situation by choosing to follow Verstappen rather than another car.
Russell pays the price in the first sector
With Mercedes unable to generate the slipstream it had planned, Russell struggled during the opening sector of his final flying lap. The lost time proved costly in an extraordinarily tight qualifying session.
Gasly ultimately took the surprise pole position, while Russell had to settle for second place on the grid. For Mercedes, the result was frustrating given how much preparation had gone into exploiting Monza’s unique qualifying characteristics.
Yet Wolff’s frustration is tempered by the fact that second on the grid is hardly a disaster at Monza. The circuit’s long straights and heavy braking zones traditionally provide significant opportunities for overtaking.
Mercedes therefore still enters race day with a strong position. But Wolff’s comments highlight just how important the tactical battle before a qualifying lap can be at Monza—and how quickly another driver’s strategy can interfere with even the best-laid plans.
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