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Italian GP Recap: Work To Do Before Flyaways

And just like that, the double-header is done. After a run of six podiums going into the summer break, a best finish of P5 from Zandvoort and Monza was not what the team had hoped for.

With the flyaway races still to come, there is plenty of time to understand what can be improved and respond positively in the remainder of 2024.

Tiny Margins at the Temple of Speed

Qualifying was always going to be close. 0.3 seconds covered the top seven in FP3 - pole could have gone to any one of eight drivers.

In the end, three tenths covered the top six - and Lewis in P6 was half a second clear of the Red Bulls behind.

George was right in the thick of it in P3, just a tenth off his third pole position of the year.

He was hungry for more on Sunday.

"I’ll get some nice pizza tonight to fuel me up, and a bit of extra weight, so not too light tomorrow," he said in parc fermé.

The McLaren 1-2 ahead marked the second time this season that Mercedes-engined cars had locked out the top three positions on the grid, after Silverstone. A fine effort from our team-mates at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains.

Grain Game

The race start didn’t quite go to plan. A trip down the turn one escape road preceded a loss of endplate at the second chicane for George.

That impacted performance throughout his first stint, and the front wing change at his first stop added even more race time.

Lewis’ bid for a record-breaking ninth Italian GP podium was helped by George’s troubles, as he moved into P5 and in striking distance of the cars ahead.

At the halfway stage, we considered the possibility of going to the end, but after suffering with tyre graining we boxed.

Best Images from the Italian GP

Lewis’ P5 makes him the first driver to score 15 points finishes at the Italian Grand Prix, breaking the tie he had with Michael Schumacher coming into the weekend.

After a busy double-header, the team returns to the factory to prepare for the flyaway races in Baku and Singapore, and a chance to regroup.

"I think we are able to extract a single lap, which is in principle good news," said Toto.

"But then the balance isn't in a way good enough to keep the tyres happy for the race, so we are left in no-man’s land.

"It is good we now have a bit of time to step back and analyse that."

Ciao, Kimi

After months of speculation, the question that had been on everyone’s lips since February was answered in Monza.

Italian Kimi Antonelli will join George in the team from 2025, graduating from our Junior Programme.

Kimi has had a fine junior career, and the 18-year-old will become the 13th Mercedes F1 driver next season.

He got his first taste of an FP1 session on Friday at his home Grand Prix, too, and while it may have ended abruptly, he will certainly learn from it.

Back on track, he finished the weekend strongly, bringing his PREMA car home in P4 in the Formula 2 Feature Race. The result moved him into P6 in the standings.

Sunglasses for Charity

Want to look as stylish as an F1 driver walking into a paddock? Now is your chance...

George and our team partner Police Sunglasses launched an exclusive ‘Russell’ collection before the Italian Grand Prix, designed in collaboration with GR himself.

The numbers six and three appear on the each side of the glasses in Roman Numerals, for that extra classy Italian touch.

35% of profits made from the range will be donated to our Team Charity Partner Mind.

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