Kimi Antonelli claimed a remarkable victory at the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, charging from 19th on the grid to win his home race ahead of Mercedes team mate George Russell.

In a dramatic 53-lap encounter at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Antonelli overcame an engine-related grid penalty, an early red flag and fierce competition from Russell and Max Verstappen to secure an emotional triumph in front of the Italian fans.

Russell crossed the line 3.857 seconds behind his team mate, while Verstappen completed the podium for Red Bull. Lando Norris narrowly beat McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri to fourth, with Lewis Hamilton sixth and polesitter Pierre Gasly seventh.

When the lights went out, Gasly made a clean getaway and retained the lead into the first chicane, while drama immediately unfolded behind him. Leclerc and Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel, with Hamilton running through the gravel and dropping down the order.

Russell wasted little time in beginning his pursuit of Gasly, passing the Alpine driver for the lead at the start of Lap 2. However, the race was soon dramatically interrupted when Leclerc lost control of his Ferrari exiting the Curva Alboreto and crashed heavily into the barriers.

Leclerc emerged unhurt, but barrier repairs were required, bringing out the red flag.

At the stoppage, Russell led Gasly and Verstappen, while Antonelli had already climbed seven places to 12th.

Following the restart, Russell again got away well to retain the lead, while Verstappen quickly recovered third after Colapinto initially moved ahead. The Alpine driver then ran through the gravel at Lesmo 1 and dropped dramatically down the order.

Further back, Antonelli's recovery gathered momentum. The Mercedes driver carved his way through the midfield and was soon challenging the McLarens, continuing an extraordinary climb through the field.

Gasly's hopes of converting pole position into victory gradually faded as his race pace proved less competitive than his qualifying speed. Verstappen passed him for second, before Hamilton, Piastri and Antonelli also found their way through.

At the front, Verstappen then began to challenge Russell. The pair traded the lead in a series of bold moves through Monza's chicanes, with the differing battery deployment strategies creating a fascinating tactical battle.

Antonelli, however, was rapidly becoming the biggest threat. Having moved into the leading group, the Italian passed Piastri and Hamilton before overtaking Verstappen. On Lap 18, just 18 laps after restarting from 19th, Antonelli swept past Russell into the first chicane to take the lead of his home Grand Prix.

The two Mercedes drivers then engaged in a spectacular intra-team contest, repeatedly exchanging positions as Verstappen remained close behind.

The race took a significant turn when Lance Stroll stopped with a hydraulics issue, triggering a Virtual Safety Car. Antonelli and Verstappen used the opportunity to pit for fresh tyres, while Russell stayed out and inherited the lead on increasingly worn hard tyres.

Antonelli rejoined behind Piastri and Hamilton but quickly began working his way back towards the front. Hamilton was passed after a mistake at the first chicane, with Piastri following soon afterwards.

With 16 laps remaining, Antonelli had moved into second place and began chasing down Russell. Verstappen also worked his way through to third.

Russell initially appeared capable of holding Antonelli at bay, but the condition of his tyres increasingly became a concern. As the final laps approached, Antonelli closed rapidly and was within striking distance with five laps remaining.

His first attempt to take the lead came at the first chicane on Lap 49. Antonelli drew alongside but ran wide at the exit and through the gravel, allowing Russell to retain the position. It proved only a temporary reprieve.

Antonelli regrouped and attacked again on the following lap, making a decisive move between Lesmo 2 and the Ascari chicane to reclaim the lead. This time, there would be no response.

The 19-year-old pulled clear over the remaining laps to take the chequered flag and secure a memorable victory at Monza. Russell completed a dominant afternoon for Mercedes with second place, while Verstappen's determined performance earned him third.

Behind the podium finishers, Norris emerged on top of a close late battle with Piastri to claim fourth, crossing the line just 0.197 seconds ahead of his McLaren team mate.

Hamilton recovered from his difficult opening lap to finish sixth, while Gasly's impressive weekend concluded with seventh. Lindblad continued his strong form with eighth, while Colapinto produced an excellent recovery from his earlier off-track excursion to claim ninth. Tsunoda completed the points positions in 10th.

2026 FIA Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix – Race 
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 53 - 
2 George Russell Mercedes 53 3.857
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 53 14.718
4 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 53 19.056
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 53 19.253
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 53 24.655
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 53 27.351
8 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 53 45.136
9 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 53 47.353
10 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 53 58.18
11 Gabiel Bortoleto Audi 53 1'05.187
12 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 53 1'06.187
13 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 53 1'14.117
14 Liam Lawson Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 53 1'15.609
15 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 53 1'18.958
16 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 52 - 1 lap
17 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 52 - 1 lap
18 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 52 - 1 lap
19 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 51 - 2 laps
     Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 26 – Retirement
     Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 23 – Retirement
      Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1 - Retirement