MONZA, Italy — Kimi Antonelli turned what should have been one of the most difficult weekends of his Formula One career into one of the greatest victories in modern F1 history.
Starting 19th on the grid at his home Italian Grand Prix after Mercedes deliberately accepted a power-unit penalty, the 20-year-old Italian stormed through the field to win at Monza—ending a 60-year wait for an Italian winner at the legendary circuit.
And according to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, he had a feeling something extraordinary was coming.
“Kimi because he’s going to walk over water,” Wolff said when discussing his expectations before the race.
The prediction proved remarkably close to reality.
Antonelli’s breathtaking drive from 19th to first saw him overcome traffic, pressure, strategy changes and some of Formula One’s biggest names before taking victory ahead of Mercedes teammate and championship rival George Russell. Max Verstappen completed the podium.
A Penalty That Was Supposed to Hurt His Weekend
The dramatic victory was made even more remarkable by the circumstances surrounding Antonelli’s starting position.
Mercedes had decided before the Italian Grand Prix to change Antonelli’s power-unit components, knowing the decision would send their championship-leading driver to the back of the grid at his home race.
Wolff admitted the decision was difficult, particularly because Monza is Antonelli’s home event. But Mercedes believed taking the penalty there was strategically better for its championship campaign than risking further technical problems later in the season.
“The algorithms don’t take nationality into consideration,” Wolff said before the race, stressing that Mercedes was focused on winning championships rather than making decisions based on emotion or public relations.
What looked like a major setback, however, became the stage for a historic comeback.
Antonelli Charges Through the Field
Antonelli wasted little time after the lights went out.
According to Formula One’s official race coverage, the Mercedes driver made up seven positions in only the opening laps, immediately putting himself back into contention before the race was disrupted by a red flag.
From there, Antonelli continued his relentless climb through the field.
His combination of pace, clean overtaking and confidence allowed him to challenge the leaders despite beginning the race near the very back. He eventually caught teammate George Russell and made his decisive move to take control of the race.
By the chequered flag, Antonelli had completed one of the most remarkable recovery drives Monza has seen in decades.
“When Driver and Car Are One…”
Wolff said Antonelli’s ability to cut through traffic was what truly separated the young Italian from the rest of the field.
The Mercedes boss compared the performance to those of some of Formula One’s greatest drivers.
“When a driver and a car are one, then there’s just nothing that can stop them,” Wolff said after the race.
Wolff later described Antonelli’s charge as an “amazing drive,” insisting that on this occasion there appeared to be virtually nothing capable of preventing the Italian from reaching the front.
The victory also highlighted Antonelli’s remarkable development.
Just two years earlier, Monza had been the site of one of the most difficult moments of his young F1 journey. During his highly anticipated debut weekend at the circuit in 2024, Antonelli crashed during Friday practice amid enormous expectations from Italian fans.
Now, he has returned to the same track as a Formula One championship leader—and a home Grand Prix winner.
Wolff said that difficult experience made Sunday’s triumph even more meaningful.
First Italian Winner at Monza Since 1966
Antonelli’s victory carries enormous historical significance for Italian motorsport.
He became the first Italian Formula One driver to win at Monza since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966, finally giving the passionate Italian crowd a homegrown winner at the “Temple of Speed.”
The win was also the 50th Formula One victory by an Italian driver, according to Reuters reporting.
For the fans packed around Monza, the result was particularly emotional.
Ferrari may traditionally command the loudest support at the Italian Grand Prix, but Antonelli’s emergence has given the country another reason to dream of Formula One glory.
And on Sunday, Italy’s newest F1 superstar delivered.
Championship Picture Changes Again
The Monza victory did more than create a memorable sporting moment—it strengthened Antonelli’s position in the 2026 Formula One title race.
Reuters reported that Antonelli extended his championship advantage to 66 points over Russell after 13 races, giving Mercedes an increasingly powerful position in both championship battles.
Russell, despite finishing second after starting near the front, could only watch as his younger teammate produced one of the drives of the season.
The result underlined the extraordinary shift within Mercedes.
Russell began the season strongly and was widely viewed as the team’s leading contender, but Antonelli’s rapid rise has transformed the internal championship battle.
Wolff has been particularly impressed by the speed of Antonelli’s development, comparing his ability to improve continuously to an AI system that keeps learning and getting better.
That evolution is now becoming impossible for the rest of the Formula One grid to ignore.
A Victory Italy Will Never Forget
For Antonelli, this was far more than another race win.
This was a homecoming.
A redemption story.
A championship statement.
And perhaps the moment that officially confirmed that Kimi Antonelli is no longer simply Formula One’s exciting young talent.
He is now a serious force at the very top of the sport.
Starting 19th.
Winning at Monza.
Becoming the first Italian to conquer his home Grand Prix in six decades.
And making Toto Wolff’s extraordinary “walk on water” prediction look almost prophetic.
Even Wolff acknowledged afterward that, regardless of how many victories Antonelli may achieve in the future, this one will always stand apart.
From the back of the grid to the top of the podium, Kimi Antonelli didn’t just win the Italian Grand Prix—he created a Monza moment that could define an entire generation of Italian Formula One fans.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.S
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