Monza, Italy, September 6, 2026: Kimi Antonelli produced one of the most remarkable drives of the 2026 Formula 1 season to win the FIA Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, charging from 19th on the grid to victory in front of his home crowd at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

The 19-year-old Mercedes driver overcame an engine-related grid penalty, an early red flag, multiple strategic twists and a fierce battle with team-mate George Russell to claim an emotional home victory.

Russell completed a memorable one-two for Mercedes, finishing 3.857 seconds behind Antonelli, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took third.

McLaren’s Lando Norris edged team-mate Oscar Piastri for fourth, with the pair separated by just 0.197 seconds at the chequered flag. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth for Ferrari, while polesitter Pierre Gasly brought his Alpine home in seventh.

Gasly Leads Early Before Russell Takes Control

Polesitter Pierre Gasly made a clean getaway and held the lead through the opening chicane.

Behind him, however, there was immediate drama as Ferrari team-mates and rivals battled for position. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel, with Hamilton running through the gravel and losing ground.

Russell quickly began applying pressure to Gasly and completed a move for the lead at the start of Lap 2.

The Mercedes driver’s advantage was short-lived as the race was soon neutralised following a major accident involving Leclerc.

Leclerc lost control of his Ferrari on the exit of the Curva Alboreto and crashed heavily into the barriers. The Ferrari driver emerged unhurt, but the damage to the barriers required repairs, prompting the red flag.

At the stoppage, Russell led Gasly and Verstappen, while Antonelli had already made impressive progress from 19th to 12th.

Antonelli Begins Extraordinary Recovery

The restart saw Russell retain the lead, while Verstappen recovered third after initially losing the position to Franco Colapinto.

Colapinto subsequently ran through the gravel at Lesmo 1, dropping down the order and undoing some of his early progress.

Antonelli, meanwhile, continued his charge through the midfield.

The Mercedes youngster picked off rival after rival and soon found himself fighting the McLaren drivers. His remarkable recovery transformed him from an outside contender into a genuine threat for the victory.

Gasly’s hopes of converting his maiden F1 pole into a race victory began to fade as Alpine’s race pace failed to match its qualifying performance.

Verstappen moved ahead of Gasly, before Hamilton, Piastri and Antonelli also found ways past the Alpine driver.

Antonelli Takes Lead on Lap 18

At the front, Verstappen began applying pressure to Russell, with the Mercedes and Red Bull drivers exchanging positions through Monza’s high-speed chicanes.

Battery deployment and slipstream effects added another strategic dimension to the fight for the lead.

Antonelli was rapidly closing the gap to the leaders.

After passing Piastri and Hamilton, the Italian then overtook Verstappen to move into the leading group.

Just 18 laps after restarting from 19th on the grid, Antonelli completed his extraordinary comeback.

On Lap 18, he swept past Russell into the first chicane to take the lead of his home Grand Prix.

The two Mercedes drivers then engaged in a spectacular intra-team battle, repeatedly exchanging positions while Verstappen remained within striking distance.

Virtual Safety Car Changes the Strategy

The race took another major turn when Lance Stroll stopped with a hydraulics problem, triggering a Virtual Safety Car (VSC).

Antonelli and Verstappen took advantage of the reduced speeds to pit for fresh tyres, while Russell remained on track and inherited the lead.

Russell’s decision left him running on increasingly worn hard tyres, setting up a tense battle during the closing stages.

Antonelli rejoined behind Piastri and Hamilton but immediately began making progress.

Hamilton was eventually passed after making a mistake at the first chicane, with Antonelli then finding his way past Piastri.

With 16 laps remaining, Antonelli had climbed back into second and began closing down Russell.

Verstappen also moved through the field to take third.

Antonelli Overtakes Russell to Seal Monza Victory

Russell initially appeared capable of defending the lead, but his worn tyres increasingly became a concern.

Antonelli continued to close the gap and was within striking distance with five laps remaining.

His first serious attempt came on Lap 49 at the first chicane.

Antonelli drew alongside Russell but ran wide on the exit and went through the gravel, allowing his team-mate to retain the lead.

The setback did little to discourage the Italian.

Antonelli regrouped and attacked again on the following lap. This time, he made a decisive move between Lesmo 2 and the Ascari chicane, retaking the lead.

Russell had no answer.

The 19-year-old Mercedes driver pulled clear over the final laps to take the chequered flag and secure a sensational 19th-to-1st victory at Monza.

Mercedes Secures Dominant One-Two

Antonelli’s victory was made even more special by the fact that it came at his home race and after starting from the back of the grid.

Russell completed a dominant afternoon for Mercedes in second, finishing 3.857 seconds behind his team-mate.

Verstappen recovered from his early battle for the lead to finish third for Red Bull.

McLaren’s Norris won a tight battle for fourth against Piastri, with just 0.197 seconds separating the team-mates at the finish.

Hamilton recovered from his difficult opening lap to finish sixth, while Gasly completed an eventful weekend with seventh after starting from pole.

Lindblad and Colapinto Score Points

Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad continued his impressive form by finishing eighth.

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto recovered strongly from his gravel excursion at Lesmo 1 to claim ninth, while Yuki Tsunoda completed the points-paying positions in 10th.

Gabriel Bortoleto finished 11th for Audi, followed by team-mate Nico Hülkenberg.

Carlos Sainz brought his Williams home in 13th, ahead of Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman.

Esteban Ocon finished 16th, one lap down, while Alexander Albon and Sergio Pérez also completed the race a lap behind the winner.

Valtteri Bottas finished 19th, two laps down.

Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso both retired, while Leclerc’s Lap 1 accident brought his Italian Grand Prix to an early conclusion.

2026 Italian Grand Prix – Complete Race Results

Pos.	Driver	Team	Laps	Gap/Status
1	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	53	—
2	George Russell	Mercedes	53	+3.857s
3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	53	+14.718s
4	Lando Norris	McLaren	53	+19.056s
5	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	53	+19.253s
6	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	53	+24.655s
7	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	53	+27.351s
8	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	53	+45.136s
9	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	53	+47.353s
10	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	53	+58.180s
11	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	53	+1:05.187
12	Nico Hülkenberg	Audi	53	+1:06.187
13	Carlos Sainz	Williams	53	+1:14.117
14	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	53	+1:15.609
15	Oliver Bearman	Haas	53	+1:18.958
16	Esteban Ocon	Haas	52	+1 lap
17	Alexander Albon	Williams	52	+1 lap
18	Sergio Pérez	Cadillac	52	+1 lap
19	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	51	+2 laps
20	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	26	Retirement
21	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	23	Retirement
22	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1	Retirement

Antonelli Produces a Monza Masterclass

Kimi Antonelli’s victory ranks among the standout performances of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Starting from 19th, the Mercedes driver recovered seven places before the red flag and then continued his charge after the restart. He eventually fought his way past the leading contenders before defeating his own team-mate in a tense late-race battle.

For Antonelli, the victory was particularly significant as his home Formula 1 Grand Prix, making his first win at Monza an emotional milestone in his young career.

Mercedes, meanwhile, leaves Italy with a maximum result from the podium fight after securing a one-two finish, while Verstappen completed the podium for Red Bull.