Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described the Silver Arrows’ Monaco Grand Prix qualifying display as “abysmal” after George Russell and Kimi Antonelli both missed out on the top 10.
Both Mercedes drivers failed to reach Q3 at the same race for the first time in more than three years as Antonelli crashed in Q1 before a technical failure ended Russell’s session in Q2.
Russell will start from 14th, with Antonelli 15th having set a fast enough time to advance from Q1 despite crashing in the closing stages of the segment.
Reflecting on the session, Wolff told Sky Sports F1: “Abysmal.
“We just started to have a car that went and these mistakes, they happen whether they are a senior driver or not.
“When it comes to George we need to find out what happened on the engine.”
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George Russell loses power during Q2 to leave both Mercedes cars out of Monaco Qualifying.
Mercedes, who are second to McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship after seven rounds of the 2025 season, had struggled for pace throughout practice in Monaco but appeared to have found some performance in the early stages of qualifying.
Sunday’s race sees the introduction of a new rule at Monaco mandating that each driver must use three sets of tyres – and therefore make two pit stops barring red flag interruptions – which has at least given Wolff some hope that the Silver Arrows can make progress.
“We are hoping to have a reverse grid or something!” he joked. “With this mandatory two stops, there are a few variables.”
Russell ‘really frustrated right now’
Russell’s session ended at the start of Q2 when his Mercedes lost electrical power after going over a bump on the exit of Ste Devote, before eventually coming to a stop in the tunnel.
His stoppage came six days after Antonelli retired from the Emilia Romagna GP with a throttle problem, and Russell told Sky Sports F1: “Two races, two problems. It’s obviously not good. Totally different reasons.
“I was on a straight and hit the bump. The bump was there all this weekend but on this occasion, the engine stopped working.
“I’m really frustrated right now. Qualifying here is the most exciting of the season and from lap one in Q1, I felt back in the game. I felt strong in the car.
“I had no doubt we could have been fighting for a good position.”
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Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli reflect on their qualifying session in Monaco after both drivers dropped out
And although Monaco’s new tyre rule is expected to offer more opportunities for drivers further down the field to turn around their weekends than is normally the case on the narrow street track, a pessimistic Russell still suggested: “I think you will see half of the drivers will go one direction, half will go in the other so there’s not much you can do from this position.
“Two pit stops for Monaco is not normal but two pit stops in many other races is very normal, so there’s not going to be any revelations.
“We were preparing from the front few grid positions. We didn’t have any strategy plans from P14 and P15. We are here now and that’s not good.”
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Watch the best of the action from Qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix
Antonelli admits crash ‘fully on me’
Antonelli will only start one place behind his team-mate, but the Italian rookie’s early qualifying exit was self-inflicted after he broke his car’s front-left suspension against the Armco turning in to the harbourside chicane on his final timed lap of Q1.
“It was a very unnecessary and costly mistake,” admitted Antonelli. “A shame to end the session like this.
“I feel sorry for the team because that was fully on me.”
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Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz reflects on all the big talking points from qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix
The 18-year-old said they now needed to “do something crazy” to try and salvage a better result from their weekend.
“We need to think a lot differently,” he said.
“Also because we did not expect to start this far back with both cars, so definitely we have to do something crazy. I will need to speak with the team in order to make up as many places as possible.”
Sky Sports F1’s Monaco GP schedule
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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the Monaco Grand Prix
Sunday May 25
6.55am: F3 Feature Race
8.35am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Monaco GP build-up*
2pm: The MONACO GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Monaco GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook
5.30pm: The Indy 500
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Next up in F1’s European triple-header is the ‘Jewel in the Crown’, the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, with Sunday’s race live at 2pm on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
