However, Mercedes were still a distance away from their closest competitors, finishing in sixth and seventh, with Hamilton ahead of Russell.
Have Mercedes’ upgrades helped the team?
Russell had been ahead of Hamilton for the majority of the race, until he pitted a second time with the seven-time champion staying out on a one-stop strategy.
Following the race, both Mercedes drivers provided a stark assessment of their performance in Imola, claiming that the team were in ‘no-man’s land’.
“P6 and a P7 at the end of the day as a team we scored one extra point. I lost my position to Lewis but I’m not going to sulk over losing a P6 to be honest,” Russell said to Sky Sports after the race.
“This is where we are right now a little bit in no-man’s land behind the Ferrari’s and the McLaren’s and ahead of the midfield.”