Kimi Antonelli has won the Italian Grand Prix, ending a 60-year wait for an Italian winner at home since Ludovico Scarfiotti’s victory for Ferrari in 1966.
The Mercedes driver started 19th on the grid after taking an engine penalty, making his victory at Monza all the more remarkable.
Kimi’s win also extended his lead over teammate George Russell in the Drivers’ Championship to 66 points.
Speaking after the race, Kimi admitted that he never imagined he would find himself standing on the top step of the podium at his home Grand Prix.
“I did not expect this. Thank you, everyone. Thank you all for coming, and thank you for the support. It’s unbelievable. I’m so happy, and I could never have imagined being here today,” Kimi said.
His victory, however, was anything but easy, with an early Ferrari crash, strategic gambles and a late battle with Russell shaping a dramatic afternoon at Monza.
A Nightmare Start for Ferrari
For the home crowd, the race could hardly have started worse.
The race was disrupted early when Charles Leclerc crashed at the Parabolica on Lap 2 after running wide at high speed, sending his Ferrari into the barriers and bringing out the Safety Car.
Consequently, the race was red-flagged while the barriers were repaired, allowing the field to change tyres without losing much time, an opportunity Antonelli used to his advantage.
Having started on the hard tyre, the Mercedes driver switched to mediums for the restart, rejoining the race in 12th.
But from there, his charge through the field was relentless.
Within just seven laps, Antonelli had climbed to fourth, sitting only 1.5 seconds behind his teammate Russell by Lap 13.
What had seemed almost impossible from 19th on the grid was suddenly beginning to look within reach.
Russell and Verstappen Turn Up The Pressure
At the front, George Russell, Max Verstappen and Antonelli quickly emerged as the leading protagonists.
With Monza’s long straights and powerful slipstream effect making overtaking particularly effective, the three drivers repeatedly traded positions as the battle at the front intensified.
Russell initially held the advantage, but Verstappen soon moved ahead after getting past Pierre Gasly before setting his sights on the Mercedes driver..
The Red Bull driver then managed to pass Russell and take control of the race. But Russell fought back as Antonelli closed in.
On Lap 18, Antonelli made his move on Russell and briefly took the lead.
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The Strategy That Decided The Race
The decisive moment came around halfway distance when Lance Stroll stopped his Aston Martin with a reliability problem, triggering a Virtual Safety Car.
Antonelli and Verstappen pitted, with both drivers taking fresh medium tyres.
On the other hand, Russell stayed out on his used hards, gaining track position but committing himself to a much longer final stint.
The strategic split transformed the race. Russell had the advantage of clean air and track position, while Antonelli had substantially fresher tyres.
Once Antonelli cleared the traffic, he began closing the gap rapidly. Kimi eventually caught Russell with five laps remaining. But victory was far from secure.
On Lap 49, Antonelli attacked at the first chicane and ran wide, crossing the gravel on exit. For a moment, his extraordinary comeback appeared to be in danger of collapsing.
Instead, he emerged only 0.8 seconds behind Russell and immediately resumed the attack.
One lap later, Antonelli made the move that decided the race. He swept past Russell on the run to Ascari and secured the lead.
Verstappen Finishes Third
Verstappen was involved in the fight for the lead during the opening phase but ultimately could not match the Mercedes pace over the full distance.
After his own stop under the Virtual Safety Car, the Red Bull driver fought his way back through the field and recovered to third.
He briefly lost the position to Oscar Piastri after a lock-up, before reclaiming the podium place.
Verstappen finished 14.718 seconds behind Antonelli, while Russell crossed the line second, 3.857 seconds behind his teammate.
McLaren and Ferrari Battle for Position
Lando Norris won the late McLaren battle for fourth after a tense contest with teammate Piastri.
Norris moved ahead with three laps remaining and held the position to the flag.
Hamilton finished sixth for Ferrari after an eventful race. He had been involved in the early fight at the front but struggled as his tyres faded, while an off-track excursion at the first chicane cost him further time.
With Leclerc out on Lap 2, Ferrari was left to settle for sixth at its home race.
