Kimi Antonelli secured a historic victory at Monza after starting 19th. But a few laps from the finish, a gravel run-off made him believe his incredible comeback had just collapsed.
Read more George Russell surprised by Mercedes’ decision that gave a decisive advantage to Antonelli
Kimi Antonelli is not about to forget his 2026 Italian Grand Prix. Starting from an unlikely 19th position after being penalized for power unit element changes, the young Italian made his way through the pack before beating his teammate George Russell and winning in front of his home crowd.
An already exceptional scenario was compounded by a huge scare in the final laps. Having caught up to Russell’s slipstream and seemingly having the tires needed to go for the win, Antonelli went off track while attempting a first attack.
For a few seconds, the Mercedes driver thought it was all over.
“Maybe I lost my chance”
Antonelli had significantly fresher tires than Russell when he caught up to his teammate late in the race.
A few laps from the checkered flag, the Italian attempts an attack at the first chicane. Russell slightly widens his line defending, while Antonelli tries to keep enough speed to gain the advantage.
But the track then begins to deteriorate and debris is found off the ideal racing line. Antonelli goes over a dirty patch, loses grip, and slides into the gravel.
“It was quite scary at the moment because the asphalt was starting to break up, but I still thought I could take the corner,” he recounts.
“Then I went over some gravel and went straight on. At that moment, I thought: ‘Maybe I lost my chance’.”
Antonelli refuses to give up
The off-track excursion could indeed have destroyed the Mercedes driver’s incredible comeback. However, Antonelli managed to get back on track quickly and only conceded a relatively limited gap to Russell.
More importantly, his fresher tires immediately allowed him to attack again.
“Fortunately, we still had the pace and we managed to go all the way.”
Antonelli then once again caught up to his teammate’s slipstream. On lap 50 of 53, he finally found the opening and took the lead for good.
He crossed the finish line 3.8 seconds ahead of Russell.
“Incredible, incredible. I am so happy. I could never have imagined being here today,” savors the Mercedes driver.
“But we managed to do it and I am really, really happy.”
Starting 19th, he still believed in victory
The most impressive part is obviously the starting point of this comeback.
Antonelli had been pushed back to 19th on the grid following penalties related to his engine. But the red flag caused by Charles Leclerc’s huge crash and the second start helped reshuffle the cards.
The Italian quickly made his way through the pack and found himself at the front much earlier than expected.
Read more Max Verstappen reveals what doomed Red Bull against Mercedes at Monza
From that moment, he understood that a victory was truly possible.
“After the second start, I was already up there and I knew I could have a chance to win. I really believed it, especially when I found myself behind George.”
The two Mercedes then engaged in several duels, even swapping positions multiple times before the team temporarily asked its drivers to calm down.
Strategy swings the duel with Russell
The Virtual Safety Car later in the race gave Antonelli the opportunity to pit and fit fresher tires.
Russell, meanwhile, stayed out on track.
This strategic difference ended up being decisive. In the final laps, the Briton’s tires were extremely worn, while Antonelli could still increase his pace.
“It was really tough because it was very difficult to open a gap. We pitted and he stayed out. He started to struggle with his tires at the end, while with my fresher tires, I could increase the pace and eventually win.”
The gravel run-off only delayed the inevitable.
A historic victory for Antonelli
This success has a historic dimension on several levels.
Antonelli becomes the first driver to win a Grand Prix after starting from 19th since Bill Vukovich at the 1954 Indianapolis 500, at a time when the event still counted towards the world championship.
He also becomes the first Italian to win his home Grand Prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti with Ferrari in 1966.
This victory is already the seventh of Antonelli’s career and also marks the 50th win by an Italian driver in the world championship.
At only 20 years old, the Mercedes driver thus adds a new major chapter to his country’s motorsport history.
Antonelli also makes a big impact on the championship
Beyond the symbolism of a home victory, the Monza result has considerable importance in the fight for the world title.
By directly beating Russell, his main rival, Antonelli now extends his lead to 66 points in the drivers’ standings.
A situation all the more impressive as his weekend seemed largely compromised even before the start due to his penalty.
Antonelli ultimately went from 19th on the grid to the top step of the podium in just a few hours. And even a gravel excursion a few laps from the finish, which made him think his dream had slipped away, was not enough to prevent the Italian from signing one of the most spectacular victories of his young career.
Read more Kimi Antonelli achieves the impossible at Monza: victory from 19th place!