Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday after starting 19th, completing a remarkable recovery on home soil and leading a Mercedes one-two. The Italian passed teammate and title rival George Russell in the closing laps and finished the 53-lap race 3.857 seconds ahead, according to Formula 1's official classification. Max Verstappen placed third for Red Bull, 14.718 seconds behind the winner.
Antonelli had dropped to the rear of the grid because Mercedes changed power-unit components beyond his season allowance. Pierre Gasly started from pole for Alpine, with Russell second, but the order changed rapidly during an eventful race. Formula 1 reported that Antonelli combined strong pace with repeated overtaking to move into contention despite beginning on the penultimate grid spot.
Charles Leclerc's Ferrari crashed heavily at the exit of the Parabolica on lap two while he fought Oscar Piastri, prompting a red flag. Leclerc climbed from the car, Formula 1 said. After the restart, Russell moved ahead and Antonelli continued his charge, passing front-running cars and joining the battle for the lead as Mercedes, Verstappen and others traded positions.
The decisive strategic moment came when a Virtual Safety Car allowed Antonelli to stop for fresh medium tires while Russell remained on used hard tires. Formula 1 said the older tires gradually lost performance. Antonelli closed the gap, briefly ran through gravel while attacking, then passed Russell late in the race. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished fourth and fifth for McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton sixth for Ferrari and pole-sitter Gasly seventh.
Independent Spanish reports described the drive as the biggest comeback by starting position in Italian Grand Prix history and noted that Antonelli became the first Italian to win the Formula 1 race at Monza since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966. The victory was Antonelli's seventh of the season. The official result awarded him 25 points and Russell 18, strengthening Mercedes at a race where Ferrari lost Leclerc but brought Hamilton home.
The result extended Antonelli's championship advantage over Russell to 66 points after 13 rounds, with AS listing the Italian on 267 points and Russell on 201. Hamilton stood third on 191, followed by Norris on 171. Formula 1 next travels to Spain, where Antonelli will seek to protect a lead transformed by one of the season's most consequential drives, while Mercedes and its rivals assess the strategic lessons from Monza.
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