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Antonelli storms to stunning Monza win from 19th on the grid

From BBC News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News From a news agency Outcome reported
  • Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix for Mercedes after starting 19th and passing team-mate George Russell with three laps remaining.
  • The victory extended Antonelli’s championship lead to 66 points and ranked as the second-furthest-back starting position from which a driver has won a Grand Prix.
  • Max Verstappen finished third, while Lewis Hamilton placed sixth and Charles Leclerc retired after an early crash.

Kimi Antonelli started the Italian Grand Prix from 19th. By the finish at Monza, the Mercedes driver had become the new hero of the Italian fans, passing team-mate George Russell with three laps left to claim a spectacular victory.

Antonelli began at the back after receiving a penalty for using more than his permitted number of engine parts. He moved to 12th on the third lap, when Charles Leclerc lost control at the Parabolica while defending against Oscar Piastri. Leclerc hit the barriers, although he was unhurt, and the race was stopped while marshals rebuilt them.

Russell took the lead from surprise pole-sitter Pierre Gasly after the opening incident and appeared in control. The restart changed the race. Antonelli worked through a group of leaders, passing Gasly, Lewis Hamilton and Piastri before joining the fight with Russell and Max Verstappen.

Verstappen briefly led on lap 11, but Russell passed him again three laps later. Antonelli then overtook the Red Bull into the second chicane. The two Mercedes cars traded the lead repeatedly from laps 17 to 24 as they used their boost and overtaking modes.

Antonelli’s decisive move followed a mid-race stop for fresh tyres under a virtual safety car. That erased a 15-second gap and put him back on Russell’s tail. He passed his team-mate with three laps remaining to extend his championship lead to 66 points. “I did not expect. Unbelievable. I am so happy, I could never imagine being here today,” Antonelli said.

Verstappen finished third, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Russell endured a damaging day in the championship fight, while Ferrari suffered a disappointing home race, with Hamilton sixth and Leclerc out early. Antonelli’s victory was the second-furthest-back starting position from which a driver has won a Grand Prix, behind John Watson’s 1983 victory from 22nd at the United States Grand Prix West.

I did not expect. Unbelievable. I am so happy, I could never imagine being here today.

· Kimi AntonelliHe reacted after winning the Italian Grand Prix from 19th on the grid.
About this summary

Originally published by BBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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