Antonelli beats Russell to Italian Grand Prix win with stunning comeback drive

Kimi Antonelli rose from the back of the grid to claim victory in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, capping off a brilliant comeback drive by passing Mercedes team mate and title rival George Russell in the closing laps.

Antonelli started his home race down in 19th position after an engine penalty, with Russell on the front row of the grid, but the youngster rapidly climbed to the front of the field via a devastating blend of raw pace and smart overtaking.

A mid-race Virtual Safety Car played its part in the outcome, when Antonelli opted to pit under caution for a fresh set of medium tyres, and Russell stayed out on used hards, which gradually faded and made his life more difficult.

Aside from a brief trip through the gravel as he attacked Russell late on, Antonelli could not be faulted across 53 laps at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza – making another huge statement in his quest for the 2026 world title.

Russell had to settle for second place, crossing the line some four seconds behind Antonelli, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed the podium finishers in a determined display that also featured several bold passes.

Lando Norris beat McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri to fourth via their own close fight, with Lewis Hamilton the lead Ferrari in sixth after team mate Charles Leclerc crashed heavily at the final corner on the second lap of the race.

After his breakthrough pole position, and a promising start, Pierre Gasly struggled to keep up with the front-runners and fell to seventh, as Arvid Lindblad, Franco Colapinto (who did well to recover from an off-track moment) and Yuki Tsunoda completed the points.

Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg were next up in their Audi machines, the latter involved in a Turn 4 scrap with Liam Lawson that was looked at by the stewards, while Carlos Sainz took 13th for Williams.

The aforementioned Lawson ended his second substitute weekend for Red Bull in P14, ahead of Haas pair Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon, Albon in the other Williams and the Cadillacs of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.

Both Aston Martin drivers joined Leclerc on the sidelines later in the race – Fernando Alonso returning to the pits with suspected car damage and Lance Stroll pulling off the track due to a hydraulics issue.

More to follow...