Formula One: Antonelli storms from the back to win at home in Monza

Kimi Antonelli turned a penalty into a landmark victory at Monza, charging from 19th on the grid to win the Italian Grand Prix in front of his home crowd. The Mercedes driver secured his seventh victory of the season and became the fourth Italian to win at the circuit known as the Temple of Speed.

Antonelli started at the back after changing his engine unit, but he moved through the field with startling speed. George Russell led for much of the race after taking the advantage from pole-sitter Pierre Gasly, yet his early tire choice eventually began to work against him.

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It’s incredible, I never imagined I could win today, it’s exceptional.

Russell had fitted his tires at the restart following Charles Leclerc’s heavy crash. Leclerc went off at the same place where he crashed in 2020, creating the day’s first major incident in Lombardy. As Russell’s tires faded, he fought Max Verstappen while Antonelli methodically overtook one rival after another.

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It was a bit frightening at the end, because I nearly lost everything by running too wide.

Antonelli needed two attempts to pass Russell in the closing stages, but his fresher tires gave him the decisive advantage. “It’s incredible, I never imagined I could win today, it’s exceptional,” he told the crowd. He said the finish had been frightening after he ran wide and thought he had lost his chance, but he kept believing until the end.

The victory extended Antonelli’s championship lead and deepened Russell’s deficit to 66 points. It also ended Italy’s long wait for a home winner at Monza. “It’s the best victory of my career,” Antonelli said, delivering a result that left the Italian fans celebrating even without Ferrari at the center of the day.

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I believed until the very end, George struggled a little with his tires and I was able to improve my pace.