Kimi Antonelli put on a recovery drive for the ages, taking victory at his home race in Monza on Sunday despite starting 19th on the grid.
The 20-year-old championship leader is the first driver to win from 19th on the grid or worse since John Watson in 1983.
FROM P19 TO P1
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 6, 2026
A special drive from a sensational talent 🤩#F1 #ItalianGP @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/JkRWWV7XxY
Antonelli is also the first Italian driver to win their home grand prix since Lodovico Scarfiotti in 1966. The Monza triumph was also the 50th victory by an Italian driver in Formula 1 history.
George Russell finished second, while Max Verstappen placed third to round out the podium. Pierre Gasly finished seventh after his first ever start on pole.
Antonelli's decisive overtake on Russell came on Lap 50. He was already battling his teammate for the lead before opting to pit on Lap 29 during a virtual safety car for a pair of fresh medium tires. Russell did not pit during the VSC and finished the race on a pair of hard tires that he put on after a red flag on Lap 3.
Antonelli is the first driver to win their home grand prix since Lando Norris won the 2025 British GP.
Ferrari endured a disappointing home race with Charles Leclerc crashing out in the opening laps, forcing a red flag. Lewis Hamilton also finished sixth after starting on the second row of the grid in fourth.
Antonelli, who was the first Italian to arrive at Monza as the championship leader since Alberto Ascari in 1953, increased his lead on Russell in the standings to 66 points.
