George Russell believes that Mercedes made the right call by splitting strategies during the thrilling Italian Grand Prix despite ultimately losing to Kimi Antonelli. Russell was leading the race when a pivotal Virtual Safety Car was deployed with 25 laps remaining, putting him just one second ahead of Antonelli, who had surged from 19th to challenge for the lead.

During the VSC, Mercedes opted to pit Antonelli for new medium tyres but kept Russell out, resulting in a 15-second gap when racing resumed. This decision proved crucial as Antonelli, starting from sixth, swiftly overtook his competitors and caught Russell with three laps to go, securing victory.

The race outcome leaves Russell trailing Antonelli by 66 points in the Drivers' Championship with ten rounds still to go.

Russell expressed his frustration regarding the timing of the VSC, stating, "I was on the hard tyre and Kimi was on the medium tyre... if either of us were to pit, it was going to be Kimi." He acknowledged the challenge posed by Antonelli's strategy but also highlighted a desire for a direct battle, stating, "I would have liked to have had a fight with Kimi."

Toto Wolff, Mercedes' team principal, explained that their computer systems indicated Russell's strategy would be faster than Antonelli's, believing the hard tyre could last the entire race. He noted, "The differentiator today was the ability going through the traffic [from Antonelli]."

Despite the setback, Russell remains focused on the upcoming races, emphasizing a positive outlook after competitive performances in Monza and Zandvoort. He stated, "I'm just thinking about going to every race and trying to win it. It will be what it will be." With Russell set for a grid penalty in future races, his determination to win remains clear.