The race at Monza was a showcase of pure excitement, regardless of what you think about the new 2026 Formula 1 machinery. It turned out to be one of the most exhilarating Grands Prix I have had the privilege to call‑in for in my three‑decade career. Where the old Italian circuit used to reward low tyre wear and long, orderly trains of cars, this year it delivered relentless passing, bold attacks and dramatic counter‑moves.
The headline story was the fairy‑tale surge of Italy’s own Kimi Antonelli. Starting from 19th on the grid, he vaulted into the lead after just 18 laps. His opening lap blended patience, clever positioning and well‑timed aggression. He negotiated the first chicane cautiously, then slipped to the outside of Yuki Tsunoda’s Racing Bull on the first Lesmo, repeated the move into the Ascari chicane, and finally threaded his car along the very edge of the grass on the following straight, overtaking two rivals in one fluid sequence.
Monza has only seen two red‑flag incidents in the modern era, both occurring in the last few years and both involving Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari at the final Parabolica. In 2026, after defending against Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, Leclerc drifted slightly wide, accelerated onto the main straight, and hit the green‑painted strip that covers a drain cover.
The left‑rear tyre lost grip, the car slid, and when Leclerc corrected the steering the front tyres suddenly regained adhesion, catapulting the car into the barriers with a 60 g impact. He walked away shaken but largely unharmed and should be fit for the upcoming Madrid event. After the race, a reliable insider hinted that the Ferrari power unit can exhibit a brief surge of torque in such extreme situations, even in the simulator, although the team itself did not confirm this. The red flag proved costly for George Russell, who had taken the lead early, overtaking pole‑sitter Pierre Gasly’s Alpine on lap two and beginning to build a comfortable gap.
The stoppage actually benefitted Antonelli. He had already climbed to P12, and the restart erased any time differences between the leaders. All drivers were allowed to change tyres, meaning many, including Russell, faced a 50‑lap stint on the same compound.
Leclerc’s early clash with his teammate Lewis Hamilton set the tone for a Ferrari weekend that fell short of expectations. Despite high hopes, the team barely scraped into the top‑10 shoot‑out after a difficult Q2, and both Ferraris started side by side on the second row. At the first chicane Hamilton braked early, nudging the inside of Leclerc and forcing the Italian wide into Turn 2.
Hamilton stayed on the outside, while Leclerc, perhaps irritated, under‑steered onto the gravel. The stewards deemed it a racing incident, a typical outcome when drivers jostle for position in the opening laps of a tightly packed start.
Antonelli then began to slice through the field with remarkable speed, filling his mirrors and prompting a tense cat‑and‑mouse duel with Russell. Both drivers were managing engine and battery deployment, trying to extract maximum lap time while preserving energy for attack and defence. When a car is within a second of the car ahead, the F1 system activates an "overtake mode" that adds a half‑megajoule of battery charge, boosting top speed—an advantage that shines on Monza’s long straights.
Max Verstappen, despite being fundamentally slower than the Mercedes, kept the pressure on by staying in the mix, leading at one point and refusing to relinquish ground. Eventually the Mercedes pit wall instructed Russell and his teammate to stop battling each other and focus on building a gap to Verstappen, keeping the Red Bull out of overtaking mode. The drivers complied, turning the race into a strategic chess match. A virtual safety car on lap 28 to retrieve Lance Stroll’s damaged Aston Martin gave the teams a chance to pit under reduced speed.
At Monza, a pit stop under the safety car can shave roughly nine seconds compared with a normal stop, because the cars travel the pit‑lane at only 50 mph while the rest of the field is still at full speed. Russell stayed out on the hard tyre while Antonelli and Verstappen pitted for fresh mediums. Post‑race, Russell claimed he believed both rivals would stay out, and the team’s press release framed the split strategy as a tactical decision, not a mistake. It’s clear the outcome left him feeling a bit bruised.
Antonelli, on fresh rubber, began erasing the 15‑second deficit, overtaking the likes of Lando Norris and Hamilton with ease. Verstappen became embroiled in battles with the McLarens, turning the closing stages into a silver‑only showdown. Antonelli’s pace on the new tyres was often more than a second per lap faster, and he soon closed in on Russell for a second time. The race surface, repaired after Friday’s rain, started to break up again.
Loose stones and a crumbling asphalt forced Antonelli onto the gravel at one point, yet he recovered and re‑joined ahead of Verstappen. He continued to chase Russell, who was forced to brake late into the first chicane, running slightly wide. Antonelli’s line through the subsequent left‑hander was compromised by the deteriorating tarmac, but he managed to stay on the track and eventually passed Russell at the Ascari chicane, eliciting a roar from the crowd.
Both drivers had been instructed to race cleanly, with Russell even told to "bring it home". Whether he deliberately let Antonelli through to trigger overtaking mode on the final corner is open to interpretation, but his tyres were 50 laps old by the chequered flag, leaving him with few options.
An Italian driver finally won the Italian Grand Prix for the first time in six decades, and the stadium erupted in euphoria. The most thrilling duel at the finish was between the two McLarens, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Their rivalry seemed personal, with Norris accusing Piastri of cutting him off on the final lap, yet Norris managed to edge him out by just two‑tenths of a second.
Monza proved that the modern era of F1 may be better described as a "Theatre of Overtaking" rather than a "Theatre of Speed". As the season moves on, the next challenge awaits in Madrid, where the brand‑new Madring circuit promises fresh difficulties and another weekend of high‑octane drama. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 starting Friday, with streaming available via NOW – no contract required, cancel anytime.