The Mercedes team reflects on a ‘frustrating’ weekend in Monaco. After a difficult qualification, the Silberpfeilen failed to strategically regain points. Both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished outside the top ten. Partly due to Williams’ tactics – where one driver holds up the entire field for the other – Toto Wolff’s team regrets a worthless Grand Prix.
The qualification was anything but smooth for Mercedes. First, Kimi Antonelli crashed coming out of the chicane, and George Russell couldn’t compete for a spot among the fastest ten due to engine problems. In the race, both fell victim to Williams’ tactics – Alex Albon held up the entire field, allowing teammate Carlos Sainz to make his mandatory pit stops ‘for free’. “Frustrating,” concluded Toto Wolff after the race.
“Today was simply not our day,” said the Austrian to the media in Monaco. “Starting at P14 and P15 was always going to be a challenge, we knew that from the start. There was no way for us to finish in the points, except to hope for a safety car.” Therefore, Mercedes waited a very long time to make pit stops. “Our qualification was punished during the race, as is usually the case when you start at the back in Monaco,” sighed Toto Wolff. Russell eventually finished eleventh, Antonelli eighteenth.
‘I’m Sorry, We Had No Choice’
“There were teams that were punching above their weight, like Racing Bulls,” explained Toto Wolff. “They had to defend their position, just like Williams, and we were the victims of that.” He revealed that Williams team boss James Vowles – once a key strategist and engineer at Mercedes – apologized during the race for their unusual tactics. “I’m sorry, we had no choice,” Vowles sent in a text message. “We know,” responded Toto Wolff.
George Russell eventually took matters into his own hands and cut the chicane to overtake Albon. He accepted the penalty he received from the FIA stewards, hoping he could gain enough time to protect his tenth place. It was to no avail. After the two mandatory pit stops, he still finished behind his British-Thai competitor. “You (Albon) owe me a dinner,” Russell wrote on social media after the race. Not much later, Albon shared the following photo on his channels. Peace and harmony, we can conclude.
