Kimi Antonelli Wins Italian GP After Starting from 19th Position

Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, becoming the first Italian to win the title in 60 years after starting from 19th on the grid. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver from Emilia-Romagna secured his seventh victory of the season, extending his lead in the drivers' championship. Antonelli's win marks the first domestic victory at the Italian GP since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966. He finished 3.857 seconds ahead of his teammate George Russell, who is now 66 points behind in the championship standings, with Max Verstappen of Red Bull finishing third. Antonelli began the race at the back due to penalties for power-unit changes but demonstrated strong pace, benefiting from an early red flag. In his post-race comments, Antonelli expressed his disbelief and happiness at the victory. Russell congratulated Antonelli, acknowledging his strong performance during the race. The race was marked by a dramatic start, with Lewis Hamilton being forced off by teammate Charles Leclerc, who crashed out on lap two. The race was red-flagged with Russell in the lead after overtaking pole-sitter Pierre Gasly. Antonelli moved up from 19th to 12th before the first restart and continued to advance, eventually taking the lead on lap 18. He gained an advantage during a virtual safety car and managed to overtake Russell on lap 50, securing the win.