The 2026 Italian Grand Prix was a spectacular showcase, arguably one of the finest races I have had the privilege to call during my three‑decade commentary career. While the new 2026 cars have sparked mixed opinions, the day’s action was pure excitement, with relentless passing and bold counter‑attacks replacing the long, uneventful trains that low‑wear tyres once produced at Monza. The headline story was the fairy‑tale surge of Italian youngster Kimi Antonelli.
Starting from 19th on the grid, he vaulted into the lead after just 18 laps. His opening lap was a masterclass in timing, composure and daring.
He negotiated the first chicane with caution, then slipped on the outside of Yuki Tsunoda’s Racing Bull through the first Lesmo bend, repeated the manoeuvre at the Ascari chicane, and finally threaded a narrow line along the right‑hand side of the track, hugging the grass and overtaking two cars on the following straight. Monza has only seen two red‑flag incidents in this century, both occurring in the final Parabolica corner – in 2020 and again in 2026 – each involving Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. In the latest episode Leclerc defended against Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, ran a little wide, and accelerated hard onto the main straight.
His left‑rear tyre slid over the green strip that covers a drain cover, sending the car into a sideways drift. When he corrected the steering, the front tyres suddenly regained grip, catapulting the Ferrari into the barriers with a 60‑g impact.
He emerged shaken but largely intact and, hopefully, will be fit for the upcoming Madrid race. A reliable source, though not officially from Ferrari, hinted that the team’s power unit can exhibit a brief surge in output under such extreme conditions, even in the simulator. The resulting red flag proved costly for George Russell, who had taken the lead early after overtaking pole‑sitter Pierre Gasly’s Alpine on lap two and was beginning to build a comfortable gap. The stoppage, however, played into Antonelli’s hands.
He had already climbed to P12, and the second standing start erased any time advantage the leaders held. Regulations allowed everyone to change tyres, meaning many drivers, including Russell, would face a 50‑lap stint on the same compound. Leclerc’s drama began even earlier, when he tangled with teammate Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap.
Ferrari had entered the weekend with lofty expectations; Hamilton even spoke about the significance of a Monza victory for the team. In reality, the cars struggled, barely scraping into Q2 and then fighting for a spot in the top‑10 shoot‑out.
After a penalty to Piastri for blocking Liam Lawson in Q2 and Antonelli’s own power‑unit penalties, the Ferraris lined up side‑by‑side on the second row. At the first chicane Hamilton braked early and cut inside of Leclerc, forcing the Italian wide into a tight Turn 2 entry.
The two cars ran side by side, with Hamilton staying on the outside. Leclerc, perhaps irritated, under‑steered onto the inside line and nudged Hamilton into the gravel.
While a bit of room could have been given, the incident was deemed a racing incident by the stewards, and no further action was taken. Monza’s Turn 2 is notorious – the outside line often forces drivers onto the kerb or into the gravel if they stray. After that, Antonelli began to slice through the field with astonishing speed, filling his mirrors and prompting a fierce cat‑and‑mouse duel with Russell’s Mercedes.
Both drivers constantly balanced engine and battery usage, trying to maximise lap times while defending and attacking. In the hybrid era, when a car is within a second of the car ahead, an “overtake mode” can be activated, delivering an extra half‑megajoule of energy and sustaining higher top speed – a crucial advantage on Monza’s four long straights.
Max Verstappen, despite being marginally slower than the Mercedes on pure pace, kept himself in the mix by exploiting Red Bull’s efficient energy recovery. He led briefly, refused to yield, and forced the Mercedes team to instruct their drivers to stop battling each other and instead focus on building a gap to him, keeping Verstappen out of overtake mode.
A virtual safety car on lap 28 collected a stranded Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin. Pitting under the VSC at Monza is a strategic goldmine: the reduced pit‑lane speed limit of 50 mph versus the full‑speed track can shave roughly nine seconds off the usual 24‑second pit loss, giving a substantial advantage. Russell, on hard tyres, stayed out while his teammate Antonelli and rival Verstappen pitted for fresh mediums. Post‑race, Russell claimed he believed both cars would stay out, while the team’s press release described a split‑strategy decision based on uncertain track advantage versus fresh rubber.
It’s clear the outcome left him feeling a bit bruised. Antonelli, on fresh tyres, began erasing the 15‑second deficit, overtaking the likes of Lando Norris and Hamilton with impressive ease. Verstappen, meanwhile, became embroiled in battles with the two McLarens, turning the race into an all‑silver showdown.
At times Antonelli was lapping over a second faster, closing on Russell’s rear. Their second encounter saw Russell braking late into the first chicane, running slightly wide, while Antonelli drifted into the left‑hander that followed, encountering loose stones from a surface that had begun to break up again despite repairs the previous Friday. Antonelli briefly slid into the gravel but recovered, still ahead of Verstappen, and soon after passed Russell again at the Ascari chicane, eliciting rapturous applause from the Italian crowd.
Both drivers had been urged to race cleanly, with Russell told to “bring it home.” Whether he deliberately let Antonelli through to trigger overtake mode on the final corner is open to interpretation, but by the chequered flag his tyres were 50 laps old and his options were limited. An Italian driver finally won the Italian Grand Prix for the first time in six decades, and the stadium erupted in electric celebration.
The most thrilling duel at the finish, however, involved the two McLarens: Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Tensions ran high after qualifying, when Piastri appeared reluctant to give Norris a slipstream. In the closing stages Norris claimed that Piastri forced him onto the grass at high speed into the second chicane, though the space was tight for any manoeuvre.
Norris took the first chicane on the final lap, possibly gaining a slight energy advantage, and edged past Piastri by just two‑tenths of a second, a finish that felt personal. Monza’s “Theatre of Speed” might be better described today as the “Theatre of Overtaking.” The race was a breathless display of skill, strategy and drama.
Next up is the Spanish Grand Prix at the brand‑new Madring circuit in Madrid, promising fresh challenges. Every session will be broadcast live from Friday on Sky Sports F1, and viewers can stream via NOW with no contract and the option to cancel at any time.