Toto Wolff blames Max Verstappen for Mercedes losing Italian GP pole position: 'We got done over'

Toto Wolff has pinned the blame on Max Verstappen for the reason his Mercedes star George Russell failed to take pole position at the Italian Grand Prix.

With Kimi Antonelli given a grid penalty and tasked with helping his Mercedes team-mate in the session, Russell was favourite to go fastest at Monza with the help of a slipstream from the Italian.

However, Pierre Gasly stunned everyone by taking his first ever pole, and his Alpine team's first since the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix with Fernando Alonso when the team were known as Renault.

Mercedes' plan to run Antonelli in front of Russell took a hit in the final runs of Q3 when they got caught up behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Wolff believes this situation ruined Russell's chance of snatching P1.

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Wolff: It's Verstappen's fault!

Wolff told Sky Sports: At the end, we got done over by Max in the final round when preparing.

"You know, when launching the lap, it was just much too close, and that compromised the lap time eventually, and that lost pole position."

While Russell still took P2 and is a firm favourite still to win the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, Wolff refuses to rule out the possibility of an upset from the Alpine team.

Wolff added: "You always need to take everybody seriously. They have a huge amount of straight-line speed. They've taken away a lot of drag, and on a single lap, that proved to be what is necessary.

"The race is a completely different ball game, so we shall see."

Wolff on Antonelli podium chances

Antonelli, who without a slipstream assist qualified P7, will start near the back of the grid following his grid penalties for an engine change planned long before the weekend began.

Wolff though has ruled out the prospect of the Italian superstar climbing the grid to take a podium at his home race.

"I think it's too much to ask," Wolf reflected. "You can see it becomes so difficult once you once you get past a certain group of peg markers.

"The performances are so close that it's unless you play aa very different strategy and you put a bit of a gamble in, I don't think it's possible."

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