Montoya: Mercedes should have double-stacked Russell and Antonelli at Monza

Monza, the temple of speed, where victory often belongs to the boldest rather than the fastest. The 2026 Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix ended with an emotional victory for Kimi Antonelli, the young Italian talent, in front of tens of thousands of home fans. But behind that glory lies a controversial strategic decision by Mercedes, one that Juan Pablo Montoya, former F1 driver, believes 'robbed' George Russell of victory. Mercedes had a perfect Sunday, finishing 1-2, with Antonelli starting from 19th on the grid to become the first Italian winner at this circuit since 2026. However, Russell, who controlled the early stages and was seen as the primary candidate for victory, was affected by a mid-race Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period. 'I've watched hundreds of races, and one of the lessons I learned from defeats is: when there's a VSC, pitting is usually faster than staying out. Montoya, with his vast experience, pointed out on F1 TV's post-race show: 'Russell was leading and should have had the priority on the pitstop. When that VSC came, it's quicker to stop than staying out. They should have stopped him, they should have double-stacked him, and he should have stopped ahead of Antonelli.' I remember the 2026 season, when races took place on empty tracks due to the pandemic. Data I collected from 82 races after the lockdown showed that pit stop strategy became more crucial than ever. Without fans, risk-taking also decreased, and teams tended to be more conservative. But at Monza, where speed is king, a strategic error can cost victory. Mercedes chose a one-stop strategy for Russell, while Antonelli, with fresher tires, could capitalize better in the final phase. Team boss Toto Wolff defended the decision: 'The two-stop was the best but we didn't think it was the case, so that was good for him actually. Today there was nothing that would have stopped Antonelli. George fought with worn-out tools at the end, so I'm really happy for the one-two.' When asked if there were other options for Russell, Wolff added: 'No, George was on the hard and we needed to go on the one-stop so there was no chance.' But Montoya disagreed. He argued that double-stacking, having both drivers pit on the same lap, was a viable option. 'The team had enough time to react. They knew the VSC would end, and they could arrange for both cars to pit. That wouldn't only help Russell keep the lead but also create a thrilling duel in the final laps.' Montoya's words remind me of relay races in athletics, where runners must coordinate perfectly to not drop the baton. Mercedes, in this situation, dropped Russell's baton. When Antonelli passed Russell for the win, I couldn't help but think of a football match where the stronger team chose a defensive approach and conceded in stoppage time. It was a tactical defeat, not a failure of skill. Russell is an excellent driver, but he was left with an outdated strategy. Mercedes' mistake wasn't just not double-stacking, but also underestimating Antonelli's attacking capability on fresher tires. They failed to consider that Antonelli, starting from a low position, would have a more comfortable tire strategy to push. Meanwhile, Russell, the leader, had to defend his position with worn tires. It was unfair. But was it a deliberate favoritism toward Antonelli? The local hero, the Italian, at Monza? I don't believe in favoritism; I believe in numbers lined up. And the numbers show a lack of decisiveness in Mercedes' strategy. They didn't put Russell in the best position to win, and that is a mistake hard to forgive at a level like Formula 1. Montoya added: 'I'm not saying Antonelli wouldn't still catch him and win the race, but it would have been a really close fight like we saw earlier on. It would have been a really cool race at the end for all of us.' Indeed, with a more reasonable decision, the Monza race could have become one of the classic duels in history. Instead, we only have Antonelli's victory, and a big question about Mercedes' strategy. When the stands were empty in 2026, I learned to look at the skeleton of a race, at the strategic decisions, not the emotional shell. And at Monza, that shell concealed a reality: Mercedes let a deserved victory slip away from Russell. In the next race, the question won't be 'Did Antonelli deserve it?', but 'What did Mercedes learn from Monza?'. That is what matters.