Kimi Antonelli wins Italian Grand Prix from 19th on grid at Monza

Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix with an extraordinary drive for Mercedes at Monza, coming back from 19th on the grid to take his first win at his home race. It was a historic performance to beat his Mercedes teammate George Russell into second, with Max Verstappen taking third for Red Bull.

Lewis Hamilton was sixth, while his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc walked away unhurt from a huge accident early in the race when he went off at Parabolica.

Mercedes had hoped Antonelli, who had a grid penalty for taking a new set of engine components before the race, might do well to come back as high as fifth at best. Antonelli, as he has repeatedly this season, once more exceeded their expectations. Still only 20, the Italian has made his mark with emphatic effect and even the Ferrari fans were moved to roar their approval at the home hero, even in Mercedes kit.

Italy has not had a home victor at Monza since Ludovico Scarfiotti, 60 years ago, while only one driver has come back to win from further down the grid, John Watson from 22nd at the Long Beach GP in 1983.

Not only was it an exceptional performance but one which has moved Antonelli a significant step closer to taking the world championship. Russell, who started from second on the grid, had gone into the weekend expecting to claw some points back from his teammate’s 59-point lead but is now 66 in arrears.

The result was a huge return for Antonelli and demonstrated his enormously impressive racecraft, to navigate through the field with control and decisiveness. The first time he has been tasked with coming back in a dominant car, the Italian handled it with absolute alacrity and a cold nerve that has indicated quite what an all-round driver he is proving to be.

Antonelli has shown verve and daring in vying at the front repeatedly this season but this was an altogether different task, threading the needle through back markers and he emerged with flying colours, while Russell must have been left shellshocked.

From the off, Russell, showing immediate pace, was in no mood to hang about and he swept past Pierre Gasly at the start of the second lap. Antonelli too made a blistering opening, moving from 19th to 12th at the point the race was stopped a lap later when Leclerc suffered a huge accident. He lost the rear just as he was vying with Oscar Piastri at Parabolica and flew off at the exit, side-on into the barriers. He appeared to have gone a little too wide on to a drainage grate and the loss of grip spat him off the corner. The impact was huge but he climbed from the car unhurt.

It prompted a red flag and during the stoppage most of the leaders switched to the hard tyres in an effort to make it to the end of the race, but Hamilton, Antonelli and Verstappen, who was up to third, opted for the medium rubber. Antonelli could not take the hards as he had opened the race on them.

Antonelli then made hay, bursting through from 12th to sixth within a lap of the restart putting him within five seconds of the lead and so his charge was on.

He had passed Hamilton for fourth by lap 12, through Curva Grande, and a lap later he was third as he took Piastri at the chicane and set off after Russell. He was with Russell and Verstappen by lap 14.

Antonelli swept past the Red Bull for second place and was in position to vie for the lead by lap 17. On the softer rubber he was not to be denied and he took the place into the chicane on lap 18.

Russell stayed with him as did Verstappen; the three cars feet apart, line astern and the two leaders began exchanging places until Mercedes told the pair to settle and put on a gap to Verstappen. With a virtual safety car deployed, Antonelli pitted on lap 28 as did Verstappen, rejoining in sixth and seventh, while Russell stayed out in the lead. Antonelli took the medium tyre again, with 14 seconds to make up to the lead.

The Italian on fresh rubber set off with alacrity, up to fourth within a lap and now chasing Hamilton. The seven-time champion overcooked it into the first chicane and Antonelli was up to third on lap 35. Russell was 10 seconds ahead with 17 laps to go. Piastri fell a lap later and a straight fight to the finish was on.

Antonelli was within six seconds with 12 laps to go, five two laps later as he inexorably marched up to his teammate. With seven to go he was there, Russell on worn rubber was defenceless. On lap 49 he was on Russell’s gearbox and tried to make the move at the first chicane as the British driver went in too deep but Antonelli went wide, slewing across the gravel and dropping back.

With hearts in mouths, the Italian reset and went again a lap later, this time decisive and perfect for the lead on the run to Variante Ascari with three laps to go and took it to the flag.