Antonelli 'walks over water' for win that will go down in F1 folklore — SkimNews
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- Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza from 19th on the grid — having started on the penultimate row due to an engine-penalty grid drop — to become the first Italian to win his home race in 60 years
- Toto Wolff said he predicted on Saturday that Antonelli would "walk over water" at Monza, and later compared the 19-year-old's rapid development to "an AI agent that continuously self-improves"
- Mercedes split strategies at the virtual safety car, putting Antonelli on fresh mediums while George Russell stayed out on hards — Wolff said the team's software favored a one-stop for Antonelli, but he overrode it and charged through traffic to catch Russell with five laps remaining
- George Russell, who started on the front row alongside shock pole-sitter Pierre Gasly's Alpine and led much of the race, now trails Antonelli by 66 points in the drivers' championship and acknowledged it is "almost a lost cause"
- Wolff framed the win as "how the circle closed" two years after Antonelli crashed in his F1 free-practice debut at this same circuit — "probably the toughest moment in his career," Wolff said, when "everyone doubted, including himself"
Why it matters: Antonelli's victory from P19 extends his championship lead over teammate Russell to 66 points, leaving Russell with "no hint" all year that he can mount a comeback — effectively ending the intra-team title fight. The decision to override the team's own race-strategy software, and Russell's quiet concession that the championship is decided, cement Antonelli as Mercedes' lead driver going into the final stretch of the season.
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