George Russell had the fastest car and a teammate ready to tow him at Monza, but Max Verstappen’s positioning on the final Q3 run disrupted Mercedes’ plan.
With the help of telemetry data, we analyse how Russell lost top spot on the grid for the Italian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen disrupted Mercedes’ tow plan at Monza
Mercedes entered the Italian Grand Prix as the primary favourites to take pole position. On a circuit as power-demanding as Monza, possessing the best and most efficient power unit is critical.
Coupled with the excellent aerodynamics and car balance Mercedes also enjoys, it was difficult to see anyone challenging them here. At least, that is how things appeared in theory.
On top of that, George Russell had a teammate who was ready to help him out. Due to an engine swap, Antonelli was set to start the race from the back of the grid regardless, so his role in qualifying was to aid the team – specifically, Russell.
And Monza is the perfect track for that. With its long straights, receiving a tow and a boost in top speed will make a significant impact on your lap times.
We only need to look at the speed difference along the main straight on Russell’s first Q3 lap, when he received a tow from Antonelli (blue), compared with his final Q2 run, when there was no assistance (white).
In figures, this assistance provided an extra 8 km/h down the straight, yielding around 0.13 seconds in lap time – by no means a small margin.
Following the successful coordination between the drivers on their first attempt, it was clear that Antonelli and Russell would execute it again on their second flying run, likely even more effectively than before.
Verstappen knew this as well and found himself in front of both Mercedes drivers during the second exit from the garage.
And that portion of the blame can be laid at the door of the Mercedes garage.
It is a fact that you always want to be the last driver to complete a flying lap; however, it is well established that at Monza everyone wants to secure some form of a tow from the car ahead, leading to queues, traffic jams among the drivers, and potential complications.
Aware of who was behind him and what their plan was, Verstappen attempted to meddle in their strategy. Specifically, before entering the final corner, he slowed down far more than usual, likely intending to let Kimi pass him.
In doing so, he would split the Mercedes pair while potentially attempting to snatch a tow for himself down the main straight.
That did not happen, and the outcome proved detrimental to all three drivers. The speed at which Verstappen—and consequently Antonelli and Russell—started their flying laps was about 3 km/h lower than on the previous run, but even more critically, it ruined the lap time across the entire first sector.
First of all, none of the drivers managed to reach their previous top speeds on the straight, while in Russell’s case, this also severely impacted his run through the first chicane.
The lower top speed cost the Briton around 0.6 seconds, while a compromised run through Turn 1 and Turn 2 increased this deficit to 0.23 seconds.
This is precisely how much slower George’s first sector was on his second flying lap compared to his first Q3 attempt.
With a superb drive through the second and third sectors, he improved his overall time, but not by enough. Without this initial loss at the start of the lap, it is crystal clear that the Briton would have secured pole position.
However, points are awarded on Sunday, and George will have plenty of room to prove whether he is the fastest on track.
What is certain is that from his perspective, this this win is more important than ever – especially with Antonelli starting from the back of the grid, offering a golden opportunity to close a championship gap that is by no means small.
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Originally published by Planet F1 —
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