- September 6, 2026
Kimi Antonelli Makes History, Becomes 1st Driver In 60 Years To…
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Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, becoming the first Italian in 60 years to do so.
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrates after winning the Italian Formula One Grand Prix race, in Monza, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Kimi Antonelli scripted history by becoming the first Italian driver in 60 years to win the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday. The prodigy, who turned 20 only last month, put up a mega drive to come from the back of the grid after a pre-race penalty to stave off teammate George Russell and finish first. Max Verstappen took third after having the best view of Antonelli and Russell’s constant battle for most of the race.
Antonelli couldn’t have found a better way to become the fourth Italian and the first since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966 for Ferrari to conquer Monza and stretch his lead at the top of the championship standings to 66 points. Multiple times during the race, Mercedes engineers were heard asking him to derisk, amid crashes and overtakes galore, but the youngster didn’t relent and was proven right at the chequered flag.
Verstappen’s Red Bull finished ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton gave the many Ferrari fans something to cheer as he rounded off the top six.
The race started in dramatic fashion when Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc slammed his Ferrari off the track and into barriers. The Monegasque, who is a two-time winner at Monza, lost control on the exit of the Parabolica at the end of lap two, going straight into the gravel and flying sideways into the tyre barriers.
Leclerc stepped out of the car, looking winded but otherwise unhurt. The race was red-flagged with Russell in the lead, having overtaken pole-sitter Pierre Gasly of Alpine. Gasly got off to a good start and seemed to be making good use of his first-ever start ahead of the pack, but his car eventually gave in.
Antonelli began at the back of the field in 19th after exceeding the permitted number of power unit changes, had already moved his way up to 12th at the time, and once the race restarted, continued to pick his way through the field. On lap 18, he hit the front for the first time, but that was the start of a desperate dogfight with Russell.
The biggest moment of the race came in lap 29 when, during a brief virtual safety car, Antonelli and Verstappen benefitted from the cheap tyre changes, coming out on a fresh set of mediums while Russell was left out on track with his hard tyres. The Englishman was understandably confused about not getting the same benefit as his teammate, but Mercedes would argue there wasn’t enough time for a double-stack.
A 15-second lead quickly evaporated, and after a botched overtaking effort on lap 49 and several more turnovers of the lead, Antonelli finally slipped past Russell a lap later and eased his way through the final three laps to take the win. Verstappen after the race said he was wishing for them to fight more so he could have a chance but, much to the relief of the Silver Arrows, that didn’t happen.
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Ask News18Before Kimi Antonelli’s victory, Ludovico Scarfiotti was the last Italian driver to win the Italian Grand Prix at Monza for Ferrari in 1966.
Ask News18September 06, 2026, 21:00 IST
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