Toto Wolff: Verstappen “made everyone else look silly” as Mercedes floundered at Italian GP

Wolff laments Mercedes’ Monza struggles as Russell cooks his tyres chasing Leclerc and Antonelli’s errors leave the focus on a cleaner Baku

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was frustrated watching the 2025 Italian Grand Prix after a difficult outing for his team. With George Russell finishing fifth and Kimi Antonelli in ninth, it was an underwhelming result for the Silver Arrows, which watched on as Max Verstappen took a commanding win.

"Today, one driver made everyone else look silly," Wolff said in reference to Verstappen's dominant drive. The Red Bull driver managed to convert an impressive pole into an even more impressive win at the Monza circuit, finishing 19 seconds ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris. With the Austrian's confirmed interest in the driver, this result may come as a kick in the teeth.

"They really need to ask themselves what he’s doing differently. Overall, we weren’t competitive over the weekend. A fifth and an eighth place are absolutely not satisfactory. I don’t think, with our current set-up, we have a car that we can consistently drive onto the podium. But Kimi made too many mistakes.

"He simply needs to put together a solid weekend. Then he’ll be racing on equal terms with Leclerc and George. And with George, things also weren’t completely smooth today."

Toto Wolff, Mercedes

Photo by: Joe Portlock / LAT Images via Getty Images

Russell compromised his race in pursuit of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, unable to make an overtake stick and in the meantime ruining his rubber.

"I think he pushed a bit too hard trying to stay close to Leclerc," Wolff explained. "When the cars are so close together, overtaking is already very difficult. And because he was pushing so much, he destroyed his tyres."

The Briton was strong on Saturday, topping Q1 with medium tyres. Securing fifth on the grid for the race, he was hoping to make ground on Sunday, but this failed to come to fruition.

Antonelli's Monza curse also continued, with the young rookie receiving a five-second penalty for driving erratically, which dropped him down a place after crossing the finish line in eighth.

"It started off difficult for him, ending up in the gravel," the team chief continued. "Very unfortunate, similar to Zandvoort. Now he needs to deliver a clean weekend in Baku. There’ll be less pressure there, and it’s a track he knows. He needs to unleash his killer instinct."

What are the expectations for the team going into Baku in two weeks? "Right now, we’re fighting Ferrari for second place in the constructors’ championship — basically the 'first loser' spot. But on the other hand, it’s also an honour to be fighting Ferrari that closely. That’s the positive side."