Antonelli, the great Italian triumph in Monza.
Kimi Antonelli thrilled the fans at the Italian GP this Sunday (06/09). Starting from 19th position, he reached victory after 25 overtakes. An unquestionable result. And he even clocked the fastest lap of the race on the final lap. Voted ‘Driver of the Day’ by fans online. George Russell, in 2nd, secured the Mercedes 1-2 finish. Max Verstappen was 3rd. Gabriel Bortoleto finished in 11th place. The next round of the Formula 1 World Championship will be next Sunday with the Spanish GP, inaugurating the Madring, a street circuit in the Spanish capital.
Pole position in Monza, the first of his career, Pierre Gasly surprised Formula 1 on Saturday, securing the place of honor for the Italian GP. But it wasn’t exactly an unusual occurrence. In 2020, driving an AlphaTauri-Honda, Gasly claimed his only victory at this very circuit.
The Italian GP, with intense battles from the start, was one of the best of the year. Charles Leclerc pushed Lewis Hamilton off the track on the 1st lap, and on the 3rd, he spun on his own and crashed hard into the wall at the exit of the Parabolica, causing the race to be stopped. And that was just the beginning. Until the end, the battle for the podium also involved Oscar Piastri, Pierre Gasly, and Lewis Hamilton. And even in the midfield positions, the competition was fierce. Gabriel Bortoleto managed to hold 9th place, but later lost the position and was overtaken by Argentine Franco Colapinto, who performed well and finished 9th, celebrating the renewal of his contract with Alpine.
Kimi Antonelli started from the penultimate row (a penalty for changing power unit components). After 18 laps, he took the lead. He made two stops and, after the second, went after Russell, catching and easily overtaking him three laps from the end, completing the incredible mark of 25 overtakes. It is no coincidence that Antonelli has Ayrton Senna as his great reference in F1.
Kimi broke a 60-year drought of Italian triumphs at Monza. The last driver from the country to cross the finish line first was Ludovico Scarfiotti, with Ferrari, in the distant 1966 Italian GP.
Antonelli’s historic feat will have several repercussions in the final stretch of the 2026 World Championship. First of all, it was an important step towards the season’s title. Kimi opened up a 66-point lead over Russell, 76 over Lewis Hamilton, and 96 over Lando Norris. It will not be easy to catch him. At some point, he will likely be prioritized in Mercedes’ strategy over George Russell. In the Constructors’ World Championship, Mercedes leads Ferrari by 122 points. Ferrari will keep dreaming of bringing Antonelli to Maranello.
At 20 years old, if he wins the World Championship, the Bolognese Antonelli will be the youngest in history, a record that belongs to Sebastian Vettel, world champion in 2010 at 23 years old. Italy’s last title was with Alberto Ascari, champion in 1952 and 1953, defending Ferrari.
F2 – Polesitter Rafael Câmara finished 2nd in Monza. He took 2nd place in the championship and is 11 points behind leader Nikola Tsolov. Emmo Fittipaldi completed the race in 20th and is 21st in the championship. On Saturday, in the Sprint, Rafael Câmara suffered contact and had to retire. Emmo Fittipaldi was 16th.
F3 – Brazilian drivers Pedro Clerot and Fefo Barrichello did not finish the Italian race in the points zone. In the sprint on Saturday, both drivers – Clerot and Barrichello – had issues and retired. In the championship, Clerot is 12th and Fefo is 27th.