Three talking points from Antonelli’s sensational Italian Grand Prix victory

Kimi Antonelli’s home victory at Monza produced one of the most emotional races in recent memory and transformed the Italian Grand Prix into a celebration of young Italian talent. The 20-year-old from Bologna won from 19th on the grid, becoming the first Italian driver to triumph at the circuit since 1966.

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is great, but the best is yet to come

The victory was Antonelli’s seventh of the season and moved him 66 points clear of Mercedes teammate George Russell in the championship. He now has as many career wins as Russell, despite the British driver having started 128 more races. With 10 races remaining, the article says only a series of catastrophes could prevent Antonelli from becoming the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, who recruited and developed Antonelli, said he had expected one of his two drivers to win. Russell started near the front, while Antonelli benefited from a red flag and a virtual safety car that allowed him to pit twice for new tyres. Russell stopped once for hard tyres and became vulnerable in the final laps. Wolff said the result reflected more than strategy, describing the moment when “a driver and a car are as one”.

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I knew one of the two would win, George, because he was at the front, or Kimi, because he was going to walk on water.

Ferrari’s home weekend ended in disappointment. Hamilton finished sixth and said his title hopes were over, blaming poor strategy after the team failed to use the virtual safety car to fit new tyres. He struggled on worn medium tyres. A lack of agreed team rules also contributed to an opening-lap clash with teammate Charles Leclerc, who later crashed out.

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

“At Mercedes, we had written rules,” Hamilton said. “And we never had it too bad. Here (at Ferrari), there are no rules. It needs to change.” The race drew a record weekend crowd of 403,666, with Ferrari enthusiasm giving way to widespread Italian celebration below the podium.

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At Mercedes, we had written rules. And we never had it too bad. Here (at Ferrari), there are no rules. It needs to change.