Toto Wolff has explained Mercedes’ call to invert their cars during the latter stages of the Dutch Grand Prix, with George Russell asked to allow Kimi Antonelli through into second place.
Antonelli had been running in P2 behind McLaren’s Lando Norris when a Virtual Safety Car was called in the final phase of the race, and the Italian was among those to take the opportunity to pit for fresher tyres.
This brought him back out on track in third – behind Norris and Russell, both of whom had opted to stay out during the VSC. On Lap 65 of 72, Mercedes informed Russell that they would switch the cars, a request that was initially met with a disgruntled response from Russell.
Wolff shares some insights on the decision.