Kimi Antonelli charges from near-last to victory

Kimi Antonelli turned an engine-penalty weekend into a home victory at Monza on September 6, charging from 19th on the grid to win the Italian Grand Prix for Mercedes. George Russell led the sister car home in second after trying to make a no-stop strategy work on used hard tyres, while Max Verstappen finished third. (formula1.com) Ferrari’s race unraveled early when Charles Leclerc crashed heavily on Lap 2 after first-lap contact with teammate Lewis Hamilton, leaving the home crowd without a Scuderia challenge. (formula1.com) The race swung on timing as much as pace. A mid-race Virtual Safety Car allowed Antonelli to pit for fresh medium tyres, while Russell stayed out, and the younger Mercedes driver used the grip advantage to attack in the closing laps. Antonelli briefly ran through the gravel during one attempt, recovered, and completed the pass with four laps remaining. (formula1.com) ### How did Antonelli go from 19th to the lead so quickly? Antonelli was already up to 12th when the race was stopped by a red flag for Leclerc’s crash, according to Formula 1’s race coverage. At the restart, he climbed again, reached the points soon after, and made an initial move on Russell for the lead as early as Lap 18. (formula1.com) Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said after the race that “nothing would have stopped him,” according to Formula 1’s post-race roundup. Formula 1’s official report said Antonelli combined “raw pace and smart overtaking” across 53 laps at Autodromo Nazionale Monza. (formula1.com) ### Why did Russell stay out instead of pitting? A mid-race Virtual Safety Car created the split between the two Mercedes cars. Formula 1’s race report said Antonelli stopped for fresh medium tyres under caution, while Russell stayed out on used hards that faded late in the race. Russell still finished 3.857 seconds behind Antonelli, limiting the damage in the championship even after losing the lead on track. (formula1.com) Formula 1’s standings page embedded in its coverage showed Antonelli’s win extended his lead over Russell to 66 points. ### What happened in the near-crash before the winning pass? (formula1.com) Antonelli said the failed attempt was “quite scary” after he ran onto the gravel while attacking Russell. He said he thought he had “lost my chance,” but added that the car still had enough pace to come back and finish the move. Formula 1 said the pass was completed on the run to Ascari with four laps remaining. (formula1.com) The same report described the gravel moment as the closest the comeback came to falling apart. ### How much did Ferrari shape the race without winning it? Charles Leclerc crashed out on Lap 2 at Parabolica after battling for position, bringing out the red flag that reset the field and helped define the race’s rhythm. (formula1.com) Formula 1 said Ferrari’s two drivers had already “managed to trip over each other” at the first chicane before Leclerc’s accident. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth and called Ferrari’s home result a “tough one to swallow,” according to Formula 1. (formula1.com) Fred Vasseur said the team would “bounce back in Madrid” after what Formula 1 described as a Monza “nightmare.” ### Why is this result getting so much attention? (formula1.com) Antonelli became the first Italian driver to win the Italian Grand Prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966, Formula 1 said. The official report also said P19 was the second-lowest starting position from which a Formula 1 Grand Prix has been won. The victory was Antonelli’s seventh of the 2026 season, according to Formula 1’s post-race coverage. (formula1.com) Mercedes now heads to the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid on September 11-13 with Antonelli leading Russell by 66 points in the championship. (formula1.com 1) (formula1.com 2)