Monza, September 6 (Daily Kiran) : Kimi Antonelli made a remarkable comeback at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, securing victory after starting in 19th place. The race, held at Monza, saw him outpace his Mercedes teammate and title rival George Russell in a dramatic final lap.
Antonelli began the race from the back due to an engine penalty but quickly climbed the ranks with impressive speed and daring maneuvers. A key moment came during a virtual safety car period, which allowed him to pit for a new set of medium tires while Russell remained on his older hard tires.
This tire strategy paid off as Antonelli gradually closed the gap to Russell. Although he briefly veered onto the gravel while attempting to overtake Russell, he recovered and clinched a stunning win in the 53-lap race.
Russell finished in second place, nearly four seconds behind Antonelli, while Max Verstappen of Red Bull took third after a series of bold overtakes. Lando Norris secured fourth place, narrowly beating his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Lewis Hamilton, who had a strong performance for Ferrari, came in sixth after a significant crash involving Charles Leclerc early in the race.
Pierre Gasly surprised everyone by securing his first Formula 1 pole position during Saturday’s qualifying but struggled in the race, finishing seventh. Other point-scoring positions were filled by Arvid Lindblad, Franco Colapinto, and Yuki Tsunoda.
Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg drove Audi cars, with Hülkenberg involved in an incident with Liam Lawson at Turn 4, which is under review by the stewards. Carlos Sainz finished 13th for Williams, ahead of Lawson, Oli Behrman, Esteban Ocon, Alex Albon, and Cadillac driver Sergio Perez.
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both retired from the race, with Alonso returning to the pits due to a potential car issue and Stroll retiring due to hydraulic problems. Antonelli’s victory was particularly impressive given that he had started the weekend leading the championship but faced a grid penalty.
His performance was even more remarkable considering the strong competitors in the front row. Gasly and Alpine had a shocking qualifying session, with Gasly taking pole position thanks to new chassis upgrades and the Mercedes power unit.
Russell started from the front row after beating Gasly for pole, and he even triumphed over the French driver in an online chess game prior to the race.
Initially, Piastri qualified third but was handed a three-place grid penalty for blocking Lawson in Q2, allowing Leclerc and Hamilton to move up. Verstappen started fifth.
Due to penalties, Antonelli dropped from seventh to 19th on the grid, while both Albon and Lawson also faced engine penalties. Lawson had to start from the pit lane after changes were made to his Red Bull’s rear wing, and Alonso also began from the pit due to a power unit change.
As the race began, all eyes were on Gasly to see if he could convert his shocking pole position into a win. Sebastian Vettel added to the excitement with a demonstration run in Michael Schumacher’s 2002 Ferrari.
Tire strategy was another hot topic, with Gasly and Russell opting for medium tires, while Leclerc, Hamilton, and Verstappen chose soft tires. Antonelli, alongside Tsunoda and Alonso, started on hard tires.
When the lights went out, Gasly surged ahead, maintaining his lead through the first chicane. Behind him, Leclerc and Hamilton battled closely, with Hamilton nearly pushed into the gravel, causing him to lose ground. Verstappen and Piastri also nearly collided but Verstappen managed to secure fourth place.
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