Italian Grand Prix 2026: Antonelli Makes History with Sensational Home Victory at Monza
The 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza produced a race that Kimi Antonelli will likely never forget. The Italian had to start from nineteenth position due to an engine penalty, but fought his way through the field to victory.
George Russell made it a perfect day for Mercedes with P2, while Max Verstappen stood on the podium again in third.
For Antonelli, the win was extra special. He became the first Italian driver since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966 to win the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Sixty years of waiting thus came to an end.
Qualifying: Gasly surprises, Antonelli sent to the back
The first surprise of the weekend came on Saturday. Pierre Gasly unexpectedly put his Alpine on pole position, keeping George Russell narrowly behind him.
Oscar Piastri qualified third, but received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Liam Lawson. This moved Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen up one position each.
For Antonelli, the weekend was much tougher. He qualified seventh, but Mercedes changed several power unit components. The associated grid penalties meant he had to start his home race from P19.
What stood out beforehand:
- Pierre Gasly took a surprising pole
- Russell started from P2
- Verstappen moved up to P5
- Antonelli had to start all the way back in P19
- Ferrari had both cars at the front during the most important home race of the year
A victory for Antonelli therefore seemed almost impossible beforehand.
The race: chaos helps Antonelli move forward
Gasly initially kept the lead at the start, but Russell was right on his tail and took P1 early on.
A lot happened behind them.
Antonelli had an excellent start from P19 and had gained quite a few positions in a short time. Then, things went wrong for Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver crashed hard at the last corner, after which the race was red-flagged.
At that moment, Antonelli had already climbed to P12.
After the restart, he continued his advance.
The opening phase in short:
- Russell took the lead from Gasly
- Leclerc retired after a heavy crash
- Antonelli worked his way through the field at lightning speed
- Verstappen joined the battle at the front
- Mercedes proved to have excellent race pace
Not much later, Antonelli even caught up with his teammate.
The turning point: Mercedes splits the strategy
Halfway through the race, strategy became increasingly important.
During a Virtual Safety Car, Mercedes decided to handle the two drivers differently. Antonelli pitted for fresh medium tires, while Russell stayed out on his used hard tires.
As a result, Antonelli temporarily lost position, but he did have much fresher rubber for the final phase.
And that proved decisive.
The Italian worked his way to the front again and began to close the gap to Russell. Meanwhile, Russell's tires were getting older, and Antonelli's pace was clearly higher.
With a few laps to go, he was right behind his teammate.
Antonelli and Russell fight for the win
A first attack by Antonelli almost went wrong. He overshot and ended up in the gravel briefly.
For a moment, it seemed he had squandered his chance for a historic home victory.
But a lap later, he was already back.
Antonelli got a good exit out of Lesmo 2, used Russell's slipstream, and overtook his teammate heading into Ascari. With four laps to go, he took the lead.
After that, he didn't let the victory slip away.
After 53 laps, Antonelli crossed the finish line first, and the Italian crowd could finally celebrate a countryman on the top step of the Monza podium again.
From P19 to P1.
You can hardly win a home race more impressively.
Verstappen grabs another podium
Behind the Mercedes drivers, Max Verstappen drove a strong race.
The Dutchman regularly joined the battle at the front throughout the race and even led for a while. Ultimately, however, Mercedes proved too strong.
Verstappen finished third, less than fifteen seconds behind Antonelli.
Behind them, the McLarens finished almost side by side: Lando Norris took P4 and Oscar Piastri finished fifth. The difference between the two drivers was less than two-tenths of a second.
The result: Mercedes 1-2 at Monza
At the finish, there was celebration at Mercedes.
The top five:
- P1: Kimi Antonelli
- P2: George Russell
- P3: Max Verstappen
- P4: Lando Norris
- P5: Oscar Piastri
Antonelli crossed the line 3.857 seconds ahead of Russell. Verstappen followed 14.718 seconds later.
For Ferrari, the home race was a lot less festive. Leclerc retired early and Hamilton eventually had to settle for a place off the podium.
What does this mean for the 2026 season?
For Antonelli, Monza was once again an important step towards the world championship.
After the Italian Grand Prix, he had 267 points, compared to 201 for George Russell. This extended his lead to 66 points.
Key takeaways:
- Antonelli strengthens his championship lead
- Mercedes takes an important 1-2
- Russell remains the main challenger
- Verstappen scores important points again with P3
- Ferrari experiences a disappointing home race
Especially the way Antonelli won will provide confidence. Driving through the entire field from P19 and eventually beating your teammate to win your home race is perhaps his strongest performance of the season so far.
Why Monza remains so special
It is not for nothing that Monza is known as the Temple of Speed.
Long straights, extremely low downforce, and the fanatical Italian Tifosi make the Italian Grand Prix one of the most recognizable races of the season every year.
Normally, almost everything at Monza revolves around Ferrari.
This time, however, an Italian in a Mercedes was the center of attention.
Antonelli became the first Italian winner of the Italian Grand Prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966. Furthermore, P19 is the second-lowest starting position from which a Formula 1 Grand Prix has ever been won.
That immediately makes this edition one for the history books.
Conclusion: a dream race for Antonelli
The 2026 Italian Grand Prix eventually became the perfect home race for Kimi Antonelli.
After an engine penalty, he started only nineteenth, but moved forward at lightning speed from the start. The red flag helped him back into the contest, a clever strategy gave him the tire advantage in the final phase, and he eventually passed George Russell for the win.
Mercedes celebrated a convincing 1-2, while Max Verstappen completed the podium in P3.
But Monza 2026 will be remembered primarily for one moment: an Italian driver who managed to win his home Grand Prix for the first time in sixty years.
And from P19, at that.
