Antonelli Won at Monza, Ending Italy’s 60-Year Drought
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 6, 2026
Antonelli won Monza
Kimi Antonelli turned an engine-related grid penalty and a 19th-place start into a breakthrough victory at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. He worked through the field with a series of clean overtakes, then made the race his own late when he passed George Russell to take the lead. A mid-race Virtual Safety Car gave Antonelli the chance to pit for fresh medium tires, and he used that stop to stay on track for the win. Russell finished second and Max Verstappen placed third, but the day belonged to Antonelli, who made the decisive move when it mattered most and held on to complete the run to the front. The victory gave Antonelli his seventh win of the 2026 Formula 1 season and widened his lead over Russell in the Drivers’ Championship to 66 points. It also put him in Italian motorsport history. Antonelli became the first Italian to win at Monza since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966, ending a long wait for a home winner at one of the country’s biggest races.
Monza race unfolded
The Italian Grand Prix changed early when Charles Leclerc crashed and triggered a red flag, forcing the field into a reset before the race settled into its rhythm. That early stoppage helped shape the rest of the afternoon, but it did not slow Antonelli’s charge once the action resumed. Starting from deep in the pack, he kept finding room to advance and did it without drama. His pace and timing kept him in the mix long enough for strategy to matter, and the opening fit the rest of his run. From there, Antonelli stayed patient and kept pressure on the front-runners until the final stages, when he found a way past Russell and settled the issue. The win came from a mix of speed, discipline and a clean tactical call. It also showed how quickly Monza could flip when a driver started far back but kept the car in the right place at the right time. Antonelli did that all race, and the result rewarded a drive that was precise from start to finish.
Ferrari struggled at home
Ferrari had a difficult home race, and Lewis Hamilton’s sixth-place finish summed up the frustration. Hamilton brought the car home in the points, but he did not hide his reaction afterward, calling the result “a bit devastating.” Ferrari never turned its home setting into a breakthrough result, and the afternoon ended with little to lift the mood in front of its own supporters. The spotlight instead shifted to Antonelli. The performance strengthened Antonelli’s position in the championship and gave the season another major turning point. It was a statement drive on home soil, and it delivered the kind of result that changes the shape of a title fight as much as it restores pride at a famous circuit.
