Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has secured a sensational victory at his home Italian Grand Prix, starting from 19th on the grid and battling his way to the front in a historic performance. The 20-year-old Italian, who leads the Formula 1 drivers’ championship, delivered a near-flawless drive to become the first Italian in 60 years to win their home Grand Prix, holding off teammate George Russell in a thrilling finish.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won his home Italian Grand Prix. (Getty Images: PA Images/Bradley Collyer)
Max Verstappen finished third, while Lando Norris overtook Oscar Piastri on the final lap, with the McLaren teammates securing fourth and fifth places respectively.
The race was marred by an early second-lap crash involving Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. He lost control of his car at the final turn, hitting the tyre wall at high speed and ending his race prematurely, much to the dismay of the passionate home crowd at Monza.
“Unbelievable. I am so happy,” said Antonelli, who became the first Italian to win the Italian Grand Prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966. “I could never have imagined to be here today. We managed to pull it off, and I am really happy.”
F1 drivers’ championship standings after Italian GP
1. 267 — Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
2. 201 — George Russell, Mercedes
3. 191 — Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
4. 171 — Lando Norris, McLaren
5. 155 — Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
6. 127 — Max Verstappen, Red Bull
7. 116 — Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Antonelli’s victory from 19th on the grid marks the second-furthest back a driver has started to win a Grand Prix. Only John Watson, who started 22nd at the 1983 United States Grand Prix, has achieved a win from a lower grid position.
Antonelli’s challenging starting position was due to Mercedes fitting new power unit components that exceeded his season allocation, a decision made following issues faced by the team earlier in the season.
Leclerc’s crash led to a red flag, and during the subsequent pit stop window, teams had the opportunity to change tyres. Antonelli, who started on hard tyres, opted for mediums, while race leader George Russell remained on his hard tyres, aiming to finish the race without another stop.
After the restart, Russell led, with Verstappen moving into second. Antonelli continued his charge through the field, passing Verstappen on lap 16 and taking the lead two laps later. The lead swapped between Antonelli and Russell multiple times before a virtual safety car period on lap 28, triggered by Lance Stroll’s retirement, led to Mercedes pitting Antonelli for fresh mediums. This strategic decision allowed Antonelli, on the newer tyres, to close the gap to Russell and ultimately secure the lead with a decisive pass on lap 50.
A marshal consoles Charles Leclerc after crashing out of the Italian Grand Prix. (Getty Images: LAT Images/Alex Bierens de Haan)
Ferrari fan crying, consoled, after Charles Leclerc crashed out of the Italian Grand Prix. (Kayo/Fox Sports)
“It was quite scary in the moment [going into the gravel],” Antonelli admitted after a brief moment on the gravel on lap 49 while attempting to take the lead. “I was like, ‘maybe I lost my chance’. Luckily we still had the pace and managed to bring it home.”
Antonelli’s victory extends his championship lead over Russell to 66 points. Russell expressed surprise at Mercedes’s decision to pit Antonelli during the virtual safety car, stating, “I thought we were both going to stay out, I was surprised to see him pitting. In the end, it was a roll of the dice both ways… Kimi had great pace.”
In other results, Max Verstappen secured third place after a late battle with Oscar Piastri. Lando Norris passed Piastri on the final lap to finish fourth, ahead of his McLaren teammate.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, followed by pole-sitter Pierre Gasly in seventh and Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad in eighth. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) and Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) completed the top 10.