Max Verstappen spotted a Mercedes ahead of him after crossing the finish line at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix and changed direction to move closer. He initially thought it was Kimi Antonelli, who had just become the first Italian to win at Monza since 1966 following an extraordinary recovery from 19th on the grid. When Max Verstappen got close enough to realise that George Russell was actually behind the wheel, he moved away before locating the other Mercedes further ahead and going over to congratulate Antonelli.
The entire sequence lasted only a few seconds, and it would be excessive to portray it as a deliberate snub towards George Russell. Yet the spontaneous nature of Max Verstappen’s reaction still offered an intriguing glimpse into the very different relationships he has with the two Mercedes drivers, particularly when viewed alongside what happened throughout the Monza weekend.
Max Verstappen goes looking for Kimi Antonelli after the Monza finish
The point is not to turn three seconds of footage into another feud. Instead, the interesting question is why Max Verstappen, after seeing a Mercedes, instinctively appeared to assume it was Kimi Antonelli and headed towards it – and why his reaction changed once he realised the driver was George Russell.
What happened afterwards helps provide some context.
In the cooldown room, Max Verstappen and George Russell were initially alone together and spoke without any apparent problem about the Virtual Safety Car and the final pit stop. When Kimi Antonelli arrived, however, the mood became more playful.
As footage of the battle between the two Mercedes drivers appeared on the screen, Max Verstappen joked: “When I saw it I thought: a little bit more, guys.”
From third place, the Red Bull driver had been hoping the two Mercedes cars would fight each other more aggressively and potentially give him an opportunity to take advantage.
Verstappen’s strong relationship with Kimi Antonelli
Later in the paddock, the four-time Formula 1 World Champion encountered Marco Antonelli and embraced Kimi Antonelli’s father following his son’s home victory. The gesture added another detail to a relationship that has been notably positive for some time.
At the end of July, Max Verstappen had already named Kimi Antonelli among the standout performers from the first part of the championship, describing the young Mercedes driver as “extremely solid”.
“He’s a good guy and a very strong driver,” Max Verstappen said at the time.
That respect was again visible at Monza, where Kimi Antonelli produced one of the most remarkable drives of the season to come through from 19th and win his home Grand Prix.
Why Max Verstappen’s relationship with George Russell is different
The relationship between Max Verstappen and George Russell has a very different history.
Their most significant public breakdown came at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, when Max Verstappen criticised George Russell over his conduct in front of the stewards and said he had “lost all respect” for the British driver.
Since then, the pair have maintained a professional relationship, but neither has attempted to hide the personal distance between them. They can discuss racing matters normally, as they did again after the Italian Grand Prix, without necessarily sharing the warmer relationship Max Verstappen has developed with Antonelli.
Monza qualifying had already revived Verstappen-Russell tension
The subject had already resurfaced on Saturday at Monza.
During the decisive Q3 runs, George Russell was attempting to use the penalised Kimi Antonelli to gain a slipstream. Max Verstappen then slowed ahead of the train of cars approaching the Parabolica.
George Russell accused Max Verstappen of having “slammed on the brakes”, arguing that the move had made his pole-position attempt more difficult. The incident added another episode to a rivalry that has periodically produced tension both on and off the circuit.
Twenty-four hours later, Max Verstappen saw a Mercedes after the finish, thought it belonged to Kimi Antonelli and moved towards it. Once he recognised George Russell, he changed direction before finding Antonelli further ahead.
There is no need to manufacture a diplomatic controversy from such a brief moment. Max Verstappen and George Russell had spoken normally immediately after the race, and nothing in the sequence establishes that the Dutchman was deliberately trying to ignore his rival.
But against the backdrop of their history, and in contrast with Max Verstappen’s openly positive relationship with Kimi Antonelli, it was not an entirely meaningless detail either. Monza simply provided another small illustration of how differently the Red Bull driver relates to the two Mercedes team-mates.
Verstappen, Russell’ı Antonelli sanıp yanına yaklaşıyor.
Antonelli olmadığını fark edince geri çekilip arkadan gelen Kimi Antonelli’yi tebrik ediyor. 😅 pic.twitter.com/2ZKYswdYES
— Mercedes-AMG | F1 News 🏁 (@MercedesAMGTR) September 7, 2026
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