Kimi Antonelli produced an incredible comeback at Monza, going from 19th on the grid to win the Italian Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver had started at the back because of an engine penalty, so a podium already looked like a huge challenge. Instead, Antonelli kept moving through the field and quickly found himself fighting for the lead. After the race was restarted following Charles Leclerc’s crash, he continued his charge and soon joined George Russell and Max Verstappen at the front.
The final part of the race turned into a battle between the two Mercedes drivers. Russell had been leading for much of the race, but Antonelli had fresher tyres after his pit stop and slowly closed the gap. With just a few laps left, he made his move and passed Russell to take the lead. He then held on to claim a memorable home victory in front of the Italian fans. Antonelli became the first Italian to win at Monza since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966, ending a 60-year wait. It was also his seventh win of the 2026 season and extended his championship lead over Russell to 66 points.
“I could never have imagined”: Kimi Antonelli reflects on incredible Monza victory
Kimi Antonelli pulled off an incredible comeback at Monza, going from 19th on the grid to win the Italian Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver had started at the back because of an engine penalty, but quickly moved through the field and found himself fighting George Russell for the lead. Antonelli eventually made the difference with fresher tyres, passing Russell with four laps left to take a memorable home win. “Unbelievable, I’m so happy and I could never have imagined to be here today but we managed to pull it off and I’m really happy,” Antonelli said after the race. He added, “it’s a dream coming true.”
Antonelli admitted he started believing a win was possible after the second restart. “After the second restart I was up there and I knew I could have a shot for the win. Definitely I believed in it, especially when I was behind George but it was really difficult because it was really difficult to break away with the tow being so strong.” Explaining how he eventually got past Russell, he said, “At the end, we pitted and he [Russell] stayed out and he struggled a bit with his tyres at the end. With fresher tyres I was able to increase the pace and managed to win it.”
