The race at Monza was a showcase of the new 2026 F1 machinery and a reminder of why the Italian Grand Prix remains one of the sport’s most thrilling fixtures. In my three‑decades of commentary I have witnessed many exciting contests, but this one stands out for its relentless overtaking, strategic twists, and a storyline that seemed straight out of a novel. Historically, Monza’s smooth surface and low tyre wear have encouraged teams to run long, almost procession‑like stints where the field stays bunched together. This year, however, the new hybrid power units and the 2026 aerodynamic package turned the race into a series of high‑speed duels.
Drivers were forced to defend and attack on almost every lap, making the event a masterclass in racecraft. The headline act was the spectacular surge of Italian youngster Kimi Antonelli. Starting 19th on the grid, he vaulted into the lead by the end of lap 18. His opening lap was a textbook example of patience combined with calculated aggression.
He navigated the first chicane with a cautious line, then threaded the inside of Yuki Tsunoda’s Racing Bull around the first Lesmo curve, stayed on the racing line through the Ascari chicane, and finally squeezed past two competitors on the right‑hand straight, brushing the edge of the grass. That blend of precision and daring set the tone for the rest of his charge. Monza also witnessed its second red‑flag situation of the century, mirroring the 2020 incident.
This time it was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who lost control at the final Parabolica. After defending against Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, Leclerc pushed a little wide, accelerated onto the pit straight, and inadvertently rode over the green‑painted strip that covers a drain cover.
The uneven surface caused the left‑rear tyre to lose grip, sending the car into a sudden slide. When Leclerc corrected the steering, the front tyres snapped back onto a higher‑grip patch, generating a massive 60 g impact that hurled the Ferrari into the barriers. The crash was violent but the driver emerged shaken rather than seriously injured, and he should be fit for the upcoming Spanish round in Madrid. The stoppage proved costly for George Russell, who had taken the lead on lap two after passing Pierre Gasly’s pole‑winning Alpine.
Russell was building a comfortable gap when the red flag was deployed, erasing his advantage and forcing a second standing start. The reset also benefitted Antonelli, who had already climbed to P12; the field reset meant the gaps to the leaders vanished, and all teams could swap tyres under the regulations, giving many drivers, including Russell, a fresh set for a 50‑lap sprint on the same compound.
Earlier in the race, Ferrari had a dramatic intra‑team tussle. Lewis Hamilton, who had been optimistic about a Monza win for the team, found himself battling teammate Leclerc at the opening chicane. Hamilton braked early, moved to the inside of Leclerc, and forced the Italian wide into a tighter entry to Turn 2. The two cars were side‑by‑side, and Hamilton managed to stay on the outside while Leclerc understeered, nudging Hamilton into the gravel.
The stewards later classified the incident as a racing incident, a common outcome for first‑lap scrums where drivers are jostling for position. After the restart, Antonelli’s charge continued at a breakneck pace.
He sliced through the midfield, overtaking seasoned rivals such as Lando Norris and Hamilton with a blend of clean braking and aggressive corner entry. Meanwhile, the battle at the front turned into a tactical chess match between the Mercedes duo and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Both Mercedes drivers were forced into “overtake mode” when they were within a second of the car ahead, a system that temporarily boosts battery output by half a megajoule, allowing higher top speeds on Monza’s long straights. Verstappen, despite being slower on a single‑lap basis, kept himself in the mix thanks to the extra power and the strategic deployment of his hybrid system. At one point he led the race, refusing to yield.
The Mercedes team eventually instructed Russell and his teammate to stop battling each other and focus on extending the gap to Verstappen, a request they obeyed, allowing the Dutchman to fall behind. A virtual safety car on lap 28 to retrieve Lance Stroll’s disabled Aston Martin offered another strategic pivot. Pitting under the VSC at Monza saves roughly nine seconds compared with a full‑speed pit stop because the cars on track are traveling at a reduced pace, and the pit lane speed limit of 50 mph is less of a penalty.
Russell, on hard tyres, elected to stay out, while Antonelli and Verstappen opted for fresh mediums. Russell later admitted in post‑race interviews that he had believed his rivals would stay out, a miscalculation that left him feeling a little “bruised” by the outcome. Antonelli’s fresh tyres allowed him to claw back the 15‑second deficit incurred during his pit stop.
He sliced through the field, passing Norris, Hamilton, and even a struggling Verstappen, who had become entangled in a battle with the two McLarens. The race effectively turned into a silver‑horse showdown, with all three drivers—Russell, Antonelli, and Verstappen—jockeying for position.
Towards the final stages, the repaired surface of the Monza track began to break up again, shedding loose stones that littered the racing line. Antonelli, on the inside of a left‑hander, was forced onto the gravel but managed to re‑join the track ahead of Verstappen. He then closed on Russell for a second pass attempt.
Russell, defending on old hard tyres, braked late into the first chicane, giving Antonelli a chance to dive past. The Italian emerged onto the Ascari chicane ahead of the British driver, prompting a roar from the crowd that resonated throughout the grandstand. The closing laps also featured a fierce duel between the McLaren pair of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Tensions had been high after qualifying, where Piastri appeared reluctant to give Norris a slipstream.
On the final lap, Norris took the inside line through the first chicane, possibly gaining a small energy advantage, and edged past Piastri by a margin of just two tenths of a second, a finish that hinted at a personal rivalry. In the end, an Italian driver—Antonelli—claimed the first home victory at Monza in six decades, delivering a cathartic moment for the local fans.
The race highlighted how the new generation of F1 cars, with their hybrid power units and overtaking‑friendly regulations, have transformed the sport’s traditional circuits into arenas of constant action. Looking ahead, the championship now shifts to the newly built Madring circuit in Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix. The venue promises fresh challenges, and fans can catch every session live on Sky Sports F1, streamed via NOW with a flexible, no‑contract subscription.