Kimi Antonelli produced one of the most impressive drives of his young Formula 1 career on Sunday, September 6, charging from 19th on the grid to win the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in front of the home crowd.
The Mercedes driver, who started at the back after taking a grid penalty for a power unit change, made 26 overtakes on his way to victory. He eventually passed his teammate George Russell late in the race to take the lead and secure a memorable home win.
Russell finished second, giving Mercedes a 1-2, while Max Verstappen completed the podium for Red Bull. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished fourth and fifth respectively for McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton taking sixth for Ferrari.
Antonelli’s victory was his seventh Formula 1 win, with all seven coming this season. It also ended a 60-year wait for an Italian winner at Monza, with the last home victory coming from Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.
The 20-year-old’s comeback began immediately after the restart following an early red flag. Antonelli quickly moved through the field before joining the battle at the front. He briefly took the lead on Lap 18, then used a Virtual Safety Car on Lap 29 to make a pit stop for fresh medium tires. Russell stayed out on older hard tires, and Antonelli’s fresher rubber eventually gave him the advantage in the closing stages.
The Mercedes teammates then fought closely for the victory before Antonelli finally moved ahead with three laps remaining. The win further strengthens his position as championship leader and adds another major result to a season in which he has steadily built confidence.
Antonelli now leads the drivers’ championship with 267 points, 66 ahead of Russell on 201. Hamilton is third on 191 points, 76 behind the Italian.
Mercedes also strengthened its position in the constructors’ championship. The team now has 468 points, 122 more than Ferrari on 346. McLaren is third on 287, while Red Bull sits fourth on 204.
Ferrari’s home nightmare
For Ferrari, its home race turned into a disappointing weekend from the opening lap.
Charles Leclerc and Hamilton went side by side into the first chicane, with Hamilton forced off the track and into the gravel. The seven-time world champion dropped several places as a result.
Leclerc’s race ended soon afterward. After coming under pressure from Piastri, the Ferrari driver lost control exiting the Curva Alboreto, also known as the Parabolica, and crashed heavily into the barriers. The incident brought out the Safety Car before the race was red-flagged, although Leclerc was able to get out of the car unaided and was later declared unharmed.
Hamilton recovered after the restart and briefly looked capable of fighting for a podium position, but Ferrari struggled to make the most of its strategy. During the Virtual Safety Car period, Antonelli and Verstappen stopped for fresh tires while Hamilton remained out, and the Ferrari driver later complained about the performance of his tires. He eventually finished sixth, leaving Ferrari without a podium at its home Grand Prix.
The result was a major blow to Ferrari’s championship hopes, with Mercedes extending its constructors’ lead to 122 points after securing the maximum impact from its 1-2 finish.
Formula 1 now moves directly to Spain for Round 14, with the Spanish Grand Prix taking place at Madrid’s new Madring circuit from September 11 to 13. The race is scheduled for Sunday, September 13.
