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Antonelli ‘walks over water’ to deliver an F1 win for the folklore

From BBC News · () English

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

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix after starting 19th on the grid, producing a remarkable recovery drive for Mercedes.
  • Team boss Toto Wolff said he believed before the race that either Antonelli or George Russell would win, comparing Antonelli’s performance to walking on water.
  • Antonelli’s rapid progress through the field put him in contention early, while Russell’s championship challenge suffered a major setback.

Kimi Antonelli started the Italian Grand Prix 19th and finished by writing himself into Formula 1 folklore. Even before the race, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said he had sensed that one of his drivers would stand on the top step of the podium.

“Either George, because he was on the front row, or Kimi because he's going to walk over water, here at Monza,” Wolff said. The contrast was striking: George Russell started on the front row beside surprise pole-sitter Pierre Gasly, while Antonelli lined up on the penultimate row.

Either George, because he was on the front row, or Kimi because he's going to walk over water, here at Monza.

· Toto WolffThe Mercedes team boss explained why he had expected one of his drivers to win despite Antonelli starting 19th.

Antonelli knew he would start at the back because of a grid penalty for using too many engines during the season. A fifth- or sixth-place finish had seemed the realistic target. He said afterward that he had thought a podium was possible, but his progress in the opening laps transformed the race.

After a cautious first lap, Antonelli climbed to 14th, then 12th at the end of the second lap. Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari crash brought out a red flag and created another opportunity. One lap after the restart, Antonelli was eighth. He moved to seventh a lap later after passing Lando Norris’s McLaren, joining the leading group.

As soon as I saw Kimi up to P5 after a handful of laps, I knew he was going to be in the fight with us.

· George RussellRussell described the immediate threat Antonelli posed after his rapid progress through the field.

Russell had taken the lead after quickly passing Gasly, but he immediately recognized the threat. “As soon as I saw Kimi up to P5 after a handful of laps, I knew he was going to be in the fight with us,” he said. Wolff credited Antonelli’s ability to pass through traffic, saying, “When a driver and a car are one, then there's nothing that can stop them.”

The result also reshaped the Mercedes championship picture. Russell had entered the race needing to maximize the opportunity and cut into his teammate’s 59-point lead. Antonelli’s victory instead left Russell’s title hopes almost a lost cause.

When a driver and a car are one, then there's nothing that can stop them.

· Toto WolffWolff praised Antonelli’s ability to move through traffic during the race.
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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