Kimi Antonelli wins Italian Grand Prix from 19th on grid to extend title lead

Comeback from 19th on the grid

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday after starting 19th on the grid due to an engine penalty. Over 400,000 spectators attended the 13th round of the season at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza over the weekend, including 135,000 spectators in the grandstands on race day. Before the session, Mercedes representatives noted that Monza was the most suitable venue to serve the grid penalty because the long straights offered ample overtaking opportunities. The 20-year-old from Bologna steadily carved through the pack during a race characterized by continuous position changes linked to battery energy management. Antonelli secured his seventh win of the season, finishing ahead of teammate George Russell, while Red Bull driver Max Verstappen took third place.

Oh my God, this is like a dream.

Early exit for Ferrari

Ferrari entered its home weekend with high expectations, but the Italian team suffered immediate setbacks in the opening laps. Seconds after the start, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton made contact at the chicane, causing Hamilton to spin slightly. At the end of the second lap, Leclerc made a driving error and crashed into the tire barriers at the Parabolica corner, mirroring his 2020 exit and concluding his race within three minutes. Hamilton suffered from an ineffective tire selection and finished sixth, dealing a blow to his championship campaign. The result left team principal Frederic Vasseur facing criticism as Ferrari failed to challenge Mercedes at Monza.

Mercedes title advantage grows

The one-two finish marked the 63rd double victory in the history of the Mercedes team and pushed its constructors championship advantage to 122 points. Antonelli extended his lead at the top of the drivers standings, moving 66 points clear of Russell and 76 points ahead of Hamilton with 13 of 23 races completed. The 28-year-old Russell, who won GP3 and Formula 2 titles in his rookie seasons and previously outperformed Hamilton at Mercedes, had to settle for second position. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff monitored the intra-team battles closely from the pit wall to prevent contact between his drivers.

I already had my finger on the button in Monza.

Russell downplayed championship calculations following the race, emphasizing an approach focused strictly on the remaining calendar.

I do not think about the world championship. I only think from race to race.

Ending a 60-year drought at Monza

Antonelli became the first Italian driver to win the Italian Grand Prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti achieved victory in 1966, ending a 60-year gap for Italian racers at Monza. His charge from 19th on the grid represents the second-deepest starting position for a grand prix winner in series history, behind only John Watson, who won from 22nd in the United States in 1983. Ferrari supporters in the stands embraced Antonelli during the closing stages, chanting his name and lighting flares in the colors of the Italian tricolor. Antonelli now targets a championship milestone, aiming to become the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari claimed his second consecutive title in 1953.