Antonelli makes history by winning from the back at Monza: “A dream come true”

Kimi Antonelli turned a start from the back of the grid into a historic Italian Grand Prix victory at Monza. The Mercedes driver finished ahead of teammate George Russell, with Max Verstappen taking third for Red Bull.

The result ended a 60-year wait for an Italian winner at Monza. Before Antonelli, the last Italian to achieve the feat was Ludovico Scarfiotti, who won the race for Ferrari in 1966.

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Thank you for the support. It’s incredible. I never would have imagined it, but we managed to do it.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri followed Verstappen for McLaren. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth for Ferrari, which was the only Ferrari to reach the finish after Charles Leclerc was eliminated in a crash on the fourth lap.

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A dream come true. I could never have done it without my family and my team.

Antonelli, visibly exhausted and emotional after the race, thanked the crowd, his family and his team. “Thank you for the support. It’s incredible. I never would have imagined it, but we managed to do it,” he said. He later added, “A dream come true. I could never have done it without my family and my team.”

The Italian driver said an off-track moment while trying to pass Russell had frightened him and made him think he had lost his chance. After the second start, he told himself, “I have to win this one.”

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It was quite a frightening moment. I went straight on and thought I had lost the opportunity.

Antonelli cried on the podium while listening to Italy’s national anthem, then waved the Italian flag as the crowd gave him an ovation. Fans chanted his name and sang Domenico Modugno’s “Volare” and “Sarà perché ti amo” beneath the podium.

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I have to win this one.