Hamilton: Right after the finish I apologized to Piastri

The Mercedes team was third fastest behind Red Bull Racing and Ferrari in the Italian Grand Prix, and after the race George Russell and Lewis Hamilton admitted that 5th and 6th place was the highest that could be expected.

Lewis Hamilton (6th): “In today’s race it was incredibly difficult to regain positions, we really had to fight for every position. It’s good that we started on hard tyres; the decision to use tactics that are not the same as the others was the right one, although it was difficult at first.

It was also difficult to stay close behind the opponents in the DRS train. During the first stint I was chasing the McLarens for a lot of laps so I knew I could keep a faster pace than them and hoped I could get ahead of them in the second stint.

After the pit stop I had to make up a significant gap and I was worried that the tires would be worn out by the time I overtook my rivals, but luckily their tires were in the same condition.

Immediately after the pit stop I was ahead of Alonso, was on a clear track and this allowed us to overtake McLaren. But the Piastri incident was simply due to an unfortunate coincidence. I misjudged the distance between our cars, and it’s entirely my fault. Right after the race I went to Oscar and apologized.

Overall I think we achieved the maximum possible results today and now I will prepare for the stage in Singapore.”

George Russell (5th): “Apparently 5th place is the maximum that can be achieved and I think if we were offered this before the start of the weekend we would agree.

On this track we were faster than McLaren and Aston Martin, but unfortunately Ferrari is one step ahead of us and Red Bull is simply out of reach. In fast corners they were so fast that I couldn’t hold back Perez’s attack for a long time.

The race was also difficult due to the high degradation of the tires, but since a lot of time is lost at the pit stop on this circuit, this meant that the tactic of two stops in the pits did not work. But at the same time I had to travel on the “DRS train” for a long time and overtaking was not easy, since the cars were about the same speed.

Now I’m looking forward to Singapore, where we were competitive last year, and I think the city circuit could suit our car better. I hope we can get closer to the leaders there than in Monza.”

Toto Wolff, team leader: “Our race was eventful, but we still managed to get as many points as possible. But as always, don’t be too happy with the fifth and sixth results.

I think the penalties our riders received were fair, but thankfully they both did a great job and made sure it didn’t affect our positions at the finish. Lewis and George held on and kept attacking.

We know that low downforce circuits are not very good for us, although I think we have made progress in this area over the season.

The next race will be in Singapore, and you need high pressure there, which suits us better. But if we get the chance to fight for a good result, it’s important not to miss it.”