Kimi Antonelli secured a remarkable victory at the Italian Grand Prix, starting from 19th on the grid to claim his most significant win to date. This triumph marks the first time an Italian driver has won at Monza since 1966, a gap of 60 years. The 20-year-old Italian driver’s performance has been described as extraordinary, cementing his position as a potential future champion in Formula One.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had anticipated a strong performance, stating before the race that he believed one of his two drivers would win. Wolff noted that he felt a special moment could unfold, particularly for Antonelli at Monza. Antonelli himself expressed that he believed a podium finish was possible, even starting from 19th.
A dramatic race unfolds
Antonelli’s race began with a grid penalty for using too many engines this season, placing him at the back. Despite this, he made rapid progress through the field. After a conservative first lap, he was 14th, then 12th by the end of lap two when a crash involving Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari brought out a red flag. Antonelli stated that being in 12th position after the red flag gave him a chance to compete for the win.
Following the restart, Antonelli quickly moved up to eighth, then seventh after passing Lando Norris’ McLaren. Meanwhile, teammate George Russell had taken the lead from Pierre Gasly early in the race. Russell acknowledged Antonelli’s impressive start, noting that he knew Antonelli would be in the fight for the lead after just a few laps.
By lap 13, Antonelli had climbed to third, just 1.8 seconds behind the leader, Max Verstappen, with Russell positioned between them. Three laps later, the two Mercedes drivers were running first and second. The team initially suggested they try to break away from Verstappen, and if Russell couldn’t, they would consider “invert[ing] the cars” to put Antonelli in the lead.
The race saw a crucial turning point with a Virtual Safety Car (VSC), triggered when Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin broke down. Mercedes opted to split strategies, calling Antonelli in for new tyres while Russell continued on his hard tyres. Wolff explained that this decision was made because they were unsure which strategy would be superior, and the hard tyre had been expected to last the entire race.
Antonelli rejoined the track 14.3 seconds behind Russell with 24 laps remaining and four cars separating them. Despite the gap, he closed in on Russell, eventually catching him with five laps to go. A brief moment where Antonelli ran off track at turn one after Russell blocked his attack caused him to lose 1.7 seconds, but he quickly recovered. A lap and a half later, Antonelli overtook Russell on the straight between the second Lesmo corner and Ascari, securing the lead.
Impact and championship implications
The victory was particularly sweet for Antonelli, who described it as a day he would remember forever and the most special win of his career so far. He credited the home fans for providing extra motivation, noting the cheering from the grandstand every lap. Wolff highlighted the win as a significant moment, especially after Antonelli’s challenging introduction to F1 two years prior when he crashed at Monza in a free practice session.
Wolff praised Antonelli’s ability to navigate through traffic, comparing it to performances by other great drivers like Lewis Hamilton. He also commented on Antonelli’s rapid development, likening him to an “AI agent that continuously self-improves and learns.”
For Russell, the outcome was frustrating, despite acknowledging it as a brilliant result for the team and congratulating Antonelli. He pointed out that the VSC was a decisive moment that changed the race’s dynamic. Antonelli’s win has extended his championship lead over Russell to 66 points, making the title a difficult prospect for Russell.
The race also saw Max Verstappen secure a podium finish in third place. Verstappen noted that despite some limitations with deployment on the straights compared to Mercedes-powered cars, his team maximized their performance. He battled with the Mercedes cars, even briefly taking the lead during the race.
The team’s trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, noted that the pace of both Antonelli and Russell was significantly faster than their competitors. He also mentioned that while Monza is an outlier track, the team’s performance was encouraging, allowing them to increase their lead in the championships.
Antonelli’s victory at Monza, starting from 19th on the grid, was his seventh win in 13 grands prix this season.
The Italian Grand Prix also featured other dramatic moments, including an incident between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the first corner, and Leclerc’s subsequent crash at Parabolica on lap two, from which he emerged unharmed.
Antonelli’s win has closed a 60-year chapter for Italian drivers at their home race.
Source: bbc.co.uk