Antonelli surges from 19th to win dramatic Italian Grand Prix

Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza for Mercedes after starting 19th because of a penalty for exceeding his season engine allocation. He reached the lead within 18 laps and passed team-mate George Russell with about five laps remaining.

Antonelli had climbed to third by lap 13 and formed a Mercedes one-two with Russell three laps later. Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle credited his opening lap to a combination of patience, risk and precise overtaking.

The race was interrupted by a red flag after Charles Leclerc crashed his Ferrari. Brundle said Leclerc appeared to lose grip after a tyre crossed a painted strip before the car hit the barriers in an impact he reported as 60G. That account was Brundle’s analysis, rather than an official incident finding.

Leclerc had also made first-lap contact with Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton. The stewards took no further action and classified the clash as a racing incident.

Mercedes split its strategy during a virtual safety car. Antonelli stopped for fresh tyres, while Russell stayed out on hard tyres that were 50 laps old by the finish. Brundle suggested Russell may have been frustrated by how the decision played out, while Russell’s public comments were more diplomatic.

Max Verstappen finished third. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris fought closely for the final places, with Norris finishing two-tenths ahead. Formula 1 now travels to Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit.