Antonelli Wins Monza After Starting 19th — SkimNews
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- Kimi Antonelli climbed from 19th on the grid to win the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, finishing ahead of Max Verstappen and extending his drivers’ standings lead to 66 points over George Russell.
- Mercedes’ strategy computers initially favored the one-stop approach, while Toto Wolff said the two-stop strategy only became competitive near the race’s end.
- George Russell said he gave no thought to pitting during the virtual safety car and believed either Mercedes driver pitting would have been Antonelli, but added that Antonelli’s performance took nothing away from him.
- Charles Leclerc forced Lewis Hamilton into the gravel at the first chicane, dropped to 10th, and crashed out a lap later while defending from Oscar Piastri.
- Aston Martin’s Hungary upgrade was effectively an all-new car apart from the rear suspension and gearbox, cutting lap times by about two seconds, but its Honda engine upgrade delivered a much smaller step in performance.
- The Madring circuit in Madrid is built around many medium-speed corners, is expected to have low power sensitivity like Zandvoort, and may make overtaking difficult.
Why it matters: Mercedes leaves Monza with Antonelli 66 points clear of Russell, turning a highly unusual strategy race into a major championship advantage. Ferrari must address the Leclerc-Hamilton relationship after losing further points, while Aston Martin’s chassis gains are constrained by an engine still described as comfortably the worst in F1.
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