Marco Rossi · F1-Korrespondent
From the back of the field to winner on the track of his childhood: Andrea Kimi Antonelli became the first Italian driver to win his home race at Monza, while Ferrari experienced one of the bitterest afternoons in recent team history in front of its own tifosi.
On September 6, Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his Mercedes after starting from 19th position, a charge through the field that made him the first Italian driver to claim victory in his home race. Ferrari, meanwhile, endured a disaster in front of its fans: Charles Leclerc crashed out in the second lap after a heavy accident, uninjured but without points. By the end, Antonelli extended his championship lead, while the rest of the field reshuffled behind him.
Russell Dominates Practice, Gasly Surprises in Qualifying
Already in the free practice sessions, it became clear that Mercedes would be competitive at Monza. George Russell set the fastest time in both FP2 and FP3, just ahead of Leclerc in FP2 and ahead of Hamilton and Verstappen in FP3. Antonelli, who had been fifth in FP1, worked his way up to fourth by the third session. Ferrari showed promise with Leclerc leading the first practice and Hamilton also performing well, but couldn't deliver when it mattered most.
The qualifying picture flipped entirely: Pierre Gasly secured pole position in the Alpine, six hundredths of a second ahead of Russell and just in front of Piastri and Leclerc. For Alpine, it was an impressive result that showed how closely the midfield was running to the front runners that weekend. Verstappen qualified only sixth, an unusually weak grid position by Red Bull standards. Antonelli claimed seventh, a respectable result for his qualifying lap, before ultimately having to start the race from 19th, far removed from the position his lap time had suggested.
Leclerc's Horror Crash and Antonelli's Charge Through the Field
The race was essentially decided for Ferrari and the tifosi in the second lap: Charles Leclerc lost control of his Ferrari on the open track and crashed at high speed into the barriers. The Monegasque walked away unhurt, but the impact was so severe that race control had to wave the red flag. For Ferrari, it meant a points-free afternoon in front of a home crowd, at Monza of all places, where the Scuderia has been chasing a home victory for years.
After the restart, the race became the stage for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Coming from 19th position, he carved his way forward lap after lap and crossed the finish line first, 3.857 seconds ahead of his teammate Russell. It was not only his win of the season but a result with historic significance: no Italian driver had ever won his home race before. Max Verstappen completed the podium in third, his fifth of the season, a result that shows how strong Red Bull remains over a full race distance, even after the disappointing sixth-place qualifying slot.
McLaren Steady, Midfield Tight, Alonso and Stroll Out Early
Behind the podium, McLaren lined up with Lando Norris in fourth and Oscar Piastri in fifth, a solid if unspectacular haul for a team that needs every point in the title fight. Lewis Hamilton salvaged a respectable sixth place for Ferrari after his teammate lost the car at Parabolica in lap two and retired. Pierre Gasly, who started from pole, managed only seventh, a setback compared to his strong Saturday performance, while Arvid Lindblad claimed eighth with a strong race, the best result for Racing Bulls, ahead of Franco Colapinto and Yuki Tsunoda, who secured tenth place and a point.
Further back, two retirements made headlines. Lance Stroll had to bring his Aston Martin to a stop at the first chicane in lap 28 due to a hydraulic issue, which triggered a virtual safety car period, and the FIA subsequently confirmed a penalty against Stroll for an incident with Norris deemed dangerous. His teammate Fernando Alonso retired in lap 23 after his car was damaged by running over curbs through the second Lesmo corner, with the team opting to bring the Spaniard in to avoid further damage. For Aston Martin, Monza meant an afternoon without a single point-scoring kilometer.
In the drivers' championship, Antonelli extends his lead with his home victory, while Ferrari finds itself under palpable pressure in the constructors' battle after the zero-point result at Monza. For the Scuderia, attention now turns forward: the coming races will show whether Leclerc's crash was an anomaly or a symptom of a deeper form crisis, while Antonelli gathers increasing confidence with each passing weekend in his title fight.
