Why is Monaco staging a sprint race? F1 Q&A

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff explained the decision to put George Russell on a two-stop strategy during the Spanish Grand Prix, where he was the only driver in the top 15 to do so. The decision was influenced by the timing of the virtual safety car on lap 14, which coincided with the pit-stop window for drivers on medium tyres, making it a challenging situation for those on hard tyres like Russell.

Russell's strategy was aimed at gaining an advantage over Charles Leclerc, who was ahead of him. However, Wolff noted that Russell's medium tyres were not performing well, leading to the decision to pit again. Russell himself acknowledged that even if he had stayed out, he would likely have finished behind Leclerc, indicating that the strategy ultimately did not affect his final position.