(Motorsport-Total.com) – “What the hell just happened?”, radioed Kimi Antonelli after his failed attack on George Russell in lap 49. Shortly before, he had wrestled his Mercedes W17 out of the gravel trap at turn 2 back onto the track – and did not know that he would still win the 2026 Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
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His excursion into the gravel trap was “pretty scary,” Antonelli said later. His explanation for the off-track: “The asphalt broke up [in the chicane]. But I thought I could still make the corner.”
Antonelli turned in coming from the left outside line and then left space for his Mercedes teammate George Russell. The TV images show how Antonelli picked up dirt with the left front tire at that moment, which likely affected the grip on the front axle when turning into turn 2.
“Then I drove a bit over the gravel and slid straight ahead,” said Antonelli. “I thought: ‘Maybe I lost my chance.’ But luckily we still had the necessary pace and managed to bring home the win.”
Kimi Antonelli catches up with giant strides
This victory actually seemed out of reach for Antonelli after the grid penalty. But Antonelli said he “actually thought of nothing else in the race – especially when I saw the opportunity presenting itself.” Because his speed in the race was excellent from the start.
“We tried to apply pressure, overtake cleverly, and use the battery sensibly. That worked,” explained Antonelli.
Starting from 19th place, he gained seven positions in the opening phase. Shortly after the second standing start, he moved into the top 10 and took fifth place in lap ten. Antonelli admitted: “Of course, it also helped us in the comeback that we were clearly the best team this weekend.”
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The fresher tires make the difference against Russell
And because he was soon “far up front,” he became aware of his chance to win. At that time, Antonelli was only about twelve seconds behind Russell at the front. “That’s why I definitely believed in it.”
His fresher tires compared to Russell’s ultimately made the difference in the direct duel for the win: “He had problems, I was able to increase the pace.” Until the end: Antonelli set the fastest race lap on the last lap.
He said he was “very happy” to have won this race. “It is definitely one I will remember forever.”
Antonelli confident on the way to the 2026 World Championship title
But was it also his best race ever? Antonelli said confidently: “The best race is yet to come! But yes, I have the impression it was one of the best races I have driven so far.”
It brought him a step closer to his big dream of winning the World Championship: By winning ahead of Russell, Antonelli extended his lead in the Formula 1 drivers’ standings by another seven points. His cushion is now big enough that Antonelli could miss two Grands Prix – and still be the championship leader, even if Russell won both races.