Montoya: Mercedes compromised George Russell's Monza win by not prioritizing his pit-stop under VSC

The radio call came just before the pit entry on lap 33. George Russell was leading, but Mercedes only called Kimi Antonelli in for tires. The number 63 car stayed out with its hard tires degrading rapidly. That, according to Juan Pablo Montoya, was the moment Mercedes compromised Russell's victory at Monza. Context: Antonelli started from 19th and produced a fairytale drive, overtaking his way to become the first Italian winner at Monza since 2026. But beforehand, Russell was the one controlling the pace, leading most of the race and looking like the most likely winner. Everything changed during a mid-race virtual safety car period. Speaking on F1 TV's post-race show, Montoya explained: "He was leading and he should have had the priority on the pitstop. When that virtual safety car came, at that point, 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'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." Montoya's argument rests on a basic strategic principle: the leading car should have priority in the pits. Under VSC, speeds are limited, and the time lost by pitting is greatly reduced. That was the perfect moment to change tires without losing the lead. Russell was in that ideal position, but Mercedes only brought in one car. As a result, Antonelli had fresh tires, carved through traffic, and closed in on Russell in the closing stages. Russell defended, but his worn hard tires made it impossible to hold on. Antonelli passed convincingly and took a historic victory. Mercedes celebrated a 1-2 finish, but the strategic questions lingered. Team principal Toto Wolff defended the decision, telling Sky Sports F1: "The two-stop was the best but we didn't think it was the case, so that was good for him actually. But today there was nothing that would have stopped him [Antonelli]. George fought with worn-out tools at the end." Asked if Russell had any other options, Wolff added: "No, George was on the hard and we needed to go on the one-stop so there was no chance." Wolff emphasised that Antonelli was simply too fast and could not be denied. Montoya, however, disagreed. For him, a fair team must optimise the chances of both drivers, especially when the current leader has earned that priority. "The leader should have priority," Montoya insisted. "Russell had done everything to be in that position." From a counter-perspective, Mercedes can be understood. They secured a 1-2 in Italy; Antonelli is a young talent, and his home win carried huge symbolic value. If Russell had been double-stacked, would Antonelli have fought back? Maybe yes, maybe no. It is a hypothetical, but Montoya set a clear benchmark: strategy should not make the race unfair from within the team. Antonelli's victory at Monza is a historic moment. From 19th, the young Italian completed Mercedes' fairytale. But for those who followed the details, the story of Russell left behind in the pits is even more haunting. Can a top team let its leading driver lose a win because of a single pit decision? Monza 2026 will be remembered for years, not only for the winner, but for the one who might have won.