On a weekend at Monza that had already delivered a surprise in qualifying, Italy’s emerging talent Kimi Antonelli added a second astonishing chapter to the race weekend by clinching a spectacular win on Sunday. The victory secured his place in Formula 1 lore and gave fans another story that will be recounted for years. Unlike Pierre Gasly, who had never started from pole in his 190‑race career and found himself on the front row purely by chance, the 20‑year‑old Antonelli has become a regular feature at the top of the grid this season. His rapid ascent has turned him into a headline name, and his performance at Monza only reinforced that reputation.
Sunday marked the seventh win for the Mercedes driver in a season that has seen his form improve with each outing. The win also stretched his championship lead from 59 points to a joint‑season‑high 66 points, putting him firmly in control of the title fight.
What makes the triumph even more extraordinary is the starting position. Antonelli began the race from 19th place, the second‑lowest grid slot ever to produce a winner in the 76‑year history of the sport.
He not only overtook his teammate and main championship rival George Russell, who had started from the front row, but he also turned a seemingly impossible situation into a masterclass in racecraft. The home‑nation factor added further drama.
Antonelli ended a six‑decade drought for an Italian driver winning the Italian Grand Prix, a feat that had not been achieved since 1964. The Italian crowd’s jubilation was palpable, and the victory was hailed as a national celebration. Martin Brundle, a former driver and long‑time commentator who has covered four decades of Formula 1, dubbed the young champion "King Kimi" after witnessing the comeback.
His fellow Sky Sports analyst and 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg was equally effusive, describing the race as "perfect from the first lap to the second start" and marveling at the speed and composure Antonelli displayed. Rosberg admitted that, before the race, many pundits—including himself—had predicted that a podium would be out of reach for a driver starting from the penultimate row. Antonelli, however, had dismissed those doubts after qualifying, insisting that a strong result was still possible.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff also expressed surprise after the checkered flag. He said he had expected either Russell, who had secured pole for the restart, or Antonelli, who he joked would "walk on water" at Monza.
Wolff recalled a conversation with Antonelli’s father the day before the race, noting that both men sensed something special was about to happen on the home track. The race itself was a textbook example of a comeback fueled by skill, strategy, and a touch of luck.
After Charles Leclerc’s dramatic crash on lap two, the red‑flag period gave Antonelli a second chance to recover positions more quickly than a normal race would have allowed. When the race restarted, Antonelli was already up to 12th place. He seized the opportunity, gaining four spots on the restart lap and moving into third place behind Russell by lap 13. From there, the battle intensified.
After Pierre Gasly’s early challenge faded, Antonelli and Russell traded the lead lap after lap 16 in a thrilling duel that saw the lead change almost every circuit. By the middle of the race, Antonelli settled into second place as the fight stabilized, but a well‑timed Virtual Safety Car later gave him the chance to pit for fresh medium tyres.
Russell, on the other hand, stayed out on older hard compounds, creating a strategic contrast that kept the outcome uncertain. Wolff later explained that the decisive factor was Antonelli’s ability to navigate traffic. He compared the young driver’s overtaking prowess to that of past legends, including Lewis Hamilton, noting that when a driver and car become one, "there’s nothing that can stop them." Antonelli described his mindset on race day as calm and confident. He said he woke up feeling mentally strong and expected a podium finish at a minimum.
After the red flag, he found himself in P12 and, with a fresh start, quickly moved into the top five. "I knew I had a shot at the win," he recalled, adding that breaking away from the pack was difficult but ultimately achievable. The victory not only solidified Antonelli’s status as a future world champion but also highlighted the unpredictable nature of Formula 1, where a driver can turn a seemingly hopeless grid position into a historic triumph.
The win will be remembered as one of the sport’s most remarkable comebacks, joining the ranks of legendary performances that have defined the championship. Looking ahead, the Formula 1 calendar now turns to Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix at the brand‑new Madring circuit.
All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through NOW – a flexible subscription that can be cancelled at any time.