The 2026 Italian Grand Prix was a showcase of pure racing excitement, arguably one of the most memorable events I have had the privilege to call for in my three‑decade career. While the new 2026 regulations have sparked debate among fans, the race itself delivered relentless overtaking, strategic twists and a dramatic storyline that will be talked about for years.
Monza has traditionally been a circuit where low tyre wear encourages long, uninterrupted trains of cars. This weekend broke that pattern completely.
From the first lap the field was in constant motion, with drivers battling for position at every corner. The highlight was the astonishing surge of Italian newcomer Kimi Antonelli, who vaulted from 19th on the grid to the front of the pack in just 18 laps – a true modern‑day fairy‑tale. Antonelli’s opening lap was a masterclass in timing and bravery.
He approached the first chicane with caution, then slipped to the outside of Yuki Tsunoda’s Racing Bull as they entered the first Lesmo. He repeated the move at Ascari, and later threaded his car between two rivals on the straight, hugging the grass on the right‑hand side.
Each maneuver was executed with surgical precision, allowing him to climb the order rapidly. Monza has only seen two red‑flag stoppages in the modern era – in 2020 and now in 2026 – and both were caused by Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari losing control at the final Parabolica. After defending against Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, Leclerc carried too much speed onto the pit straight. His left‑rear tyre ran over a painted drainage strip, causing a slide.
When he tried to correct, the front tyres suddenly found grip, catapulting the car into the barriers at an estimated 60 g. The crash left Leclerc shaken but largely intact, and he is expected to 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 extreme conditions, a factor that may have contributed to the incident.
The red flag also disrupted George Russell’s rhythm. Russell had taken the lead early, overtaking pole‑sitter Pierre Gasly’s Alpine on lap two and was building a comfortable gap when the race was halted. The stoppage proved advantageous for Antonelli, who had already risen to P12. The restart erased any time advantage the leaders held, and the regulations allowed everyone to change tyres.
This meant a long 50‑lap stint on a single set of rubber for many, including Russell, who now faced a strategic dilemma. Leclerc’s weekend had been turbulent from the start. He tangled with teammate Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap, a clash that underscored Ferrari’s struggles despite lofty pre‑race expectations.
The team had hoped for a dominant performance, especially after Hamilton spoke about the significance of a Monza victory for the marque. In reality, both Ferraris barely made it through Q2 and had to fight for a place in the top‑10 shoot‑out. After penalties shuffled the grid – Piastri received a three‑place grid drop for blocking Liam Lawson, and Antonelli carried power‑unit penalties – the two Ferraris lined up side by side on the second row. At the first chicane Hamilton braked later than expected, forcing Leclerc wide into Turn 2.
The two cars ran side by side, with Hamilton staying on the outside while Leclerc under‑steered onto the inside, eventually ending up in the gravel. The stewards classified the incident as a racing incident, a common outcome when drivers jostle for position in the opening laps of a tight pack. After the restart Antonelli began to slice through the field with astonishing speed, filling his mirrors and prompting a surprised, perhaps irritated, Russell.
The two Mercedes drivers engaged in a cat‑and‑mouse duel, constantly balancing engine and battery deployment to optimise lap times, attack and defence. In the hybrid era, when a car is within a second of the car ahead it can activate “overtake mode,” which adds a half‑megajoule of extra battery charge and sustains a higher top speed – a crucial advantage on Monza’s long straights.
Max Verstappen, despite being marginally slower than the Mercedes on pure pace, stayed in contention by extracting every ounce of performance from his Red Bull. He led at one point and refused to yield.
Eventually the Mercedes pit wall instructed their drivers to stop battling each other and focus on building a gap to Verstappen, keeping him out of overtaking mode. The drivers complied, shifting the strategic focus. A virtual safety car on lap 28 to clear Lance Stroll’s damaged Aston Martin gave the leaders a chance to pit without losing the usual 24‑second pit‑lane penalty; the high‑speed straight allowed them to shave roughly nine seconds off a normal stop.
Russell, on hard tyres, stayed out while his teammate Antonelli and Verstappen pitted for fresh mediums. Post‑race, Russell claimed he believed both rivals would stay out, a statement reflected in the team’s press release, which described the split strategy as a response to uncertainty about track position versus fresh rubber. It is clear Russell felt the decision left him “bruised.” Antonelli, now on fresh tyres, began a furious chase, erasing the 15‑second deficit by overtaking the likes of Lando Norris and Hamilton with ease. Verstappen, meanwhile, was embroiled in a battle with the McLarens, turning the race into a silver‑metal showdown.
The resurfaced asphalt, repaired on Friday night, began to break down again after several hours of racing. Antonelli slipped onto loose stones near the first chicane, briefly found himself in the gravel, but recovered and re‑joined ahead of Verstappen. He continued to close on Russell, eventually catching him at the Ascari chicane where Russell hung wide, allowing Antonelli to pass to roaring applause.
Both drivers had been instructed to race cleanly, with Russell told to “bring it home.” Whether Russell deliberately let Antonelli through to trigger overtaking mode on the final corner is open to interpretation; his tyres were 50 laps old at the chequered flag, leaving him with few options. The race marked the first Italian victory for an Italian driver in 60 years, a moment that electrified the Tifosi. The most thrilling duel at the finish, however, was between McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Their on‑track rivalry, hinted at in qualifying when Piastri seemed reluctant to give Norris a slipstream, culminated in Norris overtaking Piastri on the final lap by a razor‑thin 0.2 seconds after a daring move through the first chicane. Monza’s “Theatre of Speed” may now be better described as a “Theatre of Overtaking,” reflecting the era’s emphasis on aggressive passing and strategic energy management.
The excitement now turns to Madrid, where the new Madring circuit will challenge drivers in fresh ways. Sky Sports F1 will broadcast every session live from Friday, and viewers can stream via NOW without a contract, cancelable at any time.