“I was just struggling”: George Russell admits it was tough to lose the Monza win after leading for much of the race before Kimi Antonelli passed him

George Russell left the Italian Grand Prix with a result that was hard to fully enjoy. The Mercedes driver had controlled much of the race at Monza and looked to be on course for victory. But a late charge from teammate Kimi Antonelli changed everything, leaving Russell with second place after a race that came down to strategy, tire life and a tense fight between the two Mercedes cars.George Russell began struggling with his tires just as Kimi Antonelli found the pace to fight him for the victoryRussell had a strong start to the race and soon moved ahead of pole sitter Pierre Gasly. From there, he looked comfortable at the front while Antonelli faced a much bigger challenge.The Italian had started from 19th on the grid. Despite that difficult position, Antonelli made rapid progress through the field and soon found himself fighting near the front.The situation became even more interesting when a Virtual Safety Car was introduced after Lance Stroll's Aston Martin stopped on track.Mercedes then split its strategy.Antonelli was brought into the pits for fresh tires, while Russell remained on the circuit. The decision initially sent Antonelli backward, but the fresher tires gave him an important advantage for the closing stages.Russell said he had expected a different approach from Mercedes.“To be honest I thought we were both going to stay out. I was surprised to see him pit,” he said.As the race moved toward its final laps, Russell began to struggle with his tires. He had stayed out on the same hard tire, leaving him with less grip as Antonelli closed the gap.“I was just struggling with the tyres towards the end,” Russell explained.Antonelli eventually got close enough to make his move. With only a few laps left, he passed Russell and took control of the race.The Italian then held on to win at his home circuit, while Russell finished second.For Russell, it was a frustrating way to lose a race he had led for so long. Still, he recognized how quickly the balance had shifted.George Russell accepted Mercedes' strategy gamble despite missing out on P1Russell could have easily focused on the disappointment of losing the victory. Instead, he gave credit to Mercedes for taking a calculated risk.The split strategy meant one driver would benefit if the fresh tires proved decisive, while the other had track position. There was no guarantee which approach would work better.“I think at the end it was a roll of the dice both ways,” Russell said.He also explained that the team could not have known for certain which choice would produce the better result.“In the moment, the team wouldn't have known which strategy was better. It made sense to split the cars but, in the end, Kimi had great pace, and there we are.”That final point was important. Antonelli did not simply benefit from the strategy. He still had to use the opportunity, and his pace allowed him to catch and pass Russell before the checkered flag.Russell was quick to praise his teammate.“Huge congratulations to Kimi of course, an incredible result from him,” he said.The victory was especially significant for Antonelli because it came at his home race after starting from the back of the field.Russell, meanwhile, was left with the feeling that second place was still a step in the right direction after a difficult period.“I'll take it, it's been more positive than it was pre-summer break and that's what I needed to try and achieve,” he said.There was still no hiding what he wanted most.“Of course I would have loved to be P1 today.”The result extended Antonelli's Drivers' Championship lead to 66 points, while Russell strengthened his position in second ahead of Lewis Hamilton.Monza therefore delivered two very different outcomes for Mercedes. Antonelli celebrated a dream home victory, while Russell had to accept that his teammate and a different tire strategy had turned a likely win into another podium.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.