Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has pointed fingers at Max Verstappen for George Russell missing out on pole position during the qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Wolff stated that Russell was on track to secure pole but was hindered by Verstappen slowing down in front of him during the crucial final moments of the session.

Russell had shown promise as a pole favorite, yet his last flying lap was compromised when Verstappen's tactics interfered with his momentum. Kimi Antonelli, Russell's teammate, was strategically placed ahead to provide a tow, as he was set to start from the back due to engine penalties.

Key points from the qualifying session include:

• Russell initially improved his time to go fastest.
• Pierre Gasly of Alpine unexpectedly snatched pole from Russell, marking a significant upset.

Wolff described the incident, saying, "I think at the end where he got done over by Max in the final run when launching the lap. It was just much too close, and that compromised the lap time eventually and that lost pole position."

Russell echoed Wolff's sentiments, noting, "We had a bit of a mess with Verstappen entering the lap. It wasn't ideal to be a second and a half behind him. He slammed on the brakes and didn't want to be the lead car."

Despite the frustration, Russell remains focused on the race, stating, "As long as I'm in the top three or four after the first few laps, you're still within a great shot to fight for victory. That's the goal."

Verstappen, who qualified sixth but will move to fifth due to a penalty on Oscar Piastri, mentioned that his car was struggling with issues, stating, "It's just costing lap time in the low-speed where the car just starts jumping around a lot more than it should do."

The Italian GP will take place on Sunday, September 6, with a packed schedule leading up to the race.