Race Report: Antonelli wins Italian GP from 19th place!

Kimi Antonelli is the first Italian Formula 1 driver to win the Italian Grand Prix ahead of George Russell and Max Verstappen. Kimi came from 19th on the grid to secure the win and replaced Ferrari as the focus of the Tifosi as the first Italian driver to win the Italian GP in 66 years!

Win

A huge win for Kim and Mercedes! A superlative drive with a brilliant and measured first lap passing six cars. With Leclerc out and a red flag, it offered a strategy change, as well as a new set of Medium tires, to start and close down to P6 immediately. Kimi showed tremendous patience even though he had dominant pace and took the win. The team boxed him for another set of Mediums and left him a 15s gap to Russell which he closed down for victory. An amazing performance from an incredibly exciting young driver on his way to win the first world championship for an Italian in over 70 years. Keep in mind that he served an engine-change penalty and still gained points on his nearest rival and that’s huge given George will have an upcoming penalty.

A win for Max Verstappen and Red Bull as he was battling a rear axel issue for most of the weekend. Max remained very competitive, despite his straight-line speed deficit, to keep both McLaren’s behind him.

A big win for Pierre Gasly and Alpine. Not only did Pierre do an amazing job taking pole, his P7 finish ahead of both Racing Bulls is big. With Franco Colapinto ahead of Yuki Tsunoda keeps the points haul for Alpine in the positive and that’s huge.

Despite being beaten by Gasly, a shout out to Arvid Linblad for finishing in P8 and for Yuki, sitting in for Liam Lawson, who finished in P10.

Fail

A fail for Ferrari with Charles Leclerc crashing out and Lewis Hamilton having a ragged race. The frustration was compounded for Lewis with a strategy call that didn’t box him for fresh tires during the VSC. This left him down in P6 at their home race. Overall, Ferrari seem to be missing ultimate race pace despite their one-lap pace on Saturday.

Was hoping a new engine for Ollie Bearman would generate results but finishing down in P15 is not a lot to cheer about.

McLaren wasn’t happy at Monza and while Oscar Piastri seemed quick for much of the first half of the race, his pace faltered allowing Lando Norris to pass him on the last lap. Having won the last two races, it was clear that the Monza circuit does not flatter McLaren’s chassis.

What a punishing weekend for Aston Martin with a dual DNF!

WTH

Not sure what happened with Liam Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg, TV coverage missed it, but he languished at the back and midfield all day. The upside is that he had an engine change and has paid the penalty for either himself in Madrid or Isack Hadjar if he returns.

Pirelli Report:

DARIO MARRAFUSCHI – PIRELLI MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR

“We expected a race in which all three compounds would be viable strategic options and that proved to be the case. Teams had the opportunity to adopt different approaches, so much so that the starting grid presented a particularly varied picture. We saw drivers start on each of the available compounds, with different strategies unfolding throughout the race. Those who switched early to the Hard or Medium compound were able to complete most of the race distance comfortably thanks to extremely low degradation levels.

The data collected confirmed what we had observed over the previous days. Even during the most intense battles, with numerous overtakes and a few lock-ups, no significant wear-related issues emerged. We did observe some graining, with differing behaviour from team to team, demonstrating just how much the phenomenon was influenced by individual car characteristics and stint management.

The Virtual Safety Car inevitably limited the opportunity to gather further information on the C5 in long-run conditions, but the sets used by the drivers who completed the longest stints on the Soft compound showed low degradation in line with expectations. The rear axle undoubtedly benefited from Monza’s long straights, which helped contain tyre overheating under traction despite the high track temperatures.

Overall, the performance of the entire range was extremely positive, allowing drivers to push throughout the race while promoting close battles and numerous overtaking opportunities. We witnessed an action-packed race characterised by varied strategies, exactly the type of scenario we aim to help create.

Congratulations to Kimi Antonelli who, after climbing through the field from the penultimate position on the grid, managed to secure victory with an extraordinary recovery drive, completing 26 overtakes and taking advantage of a Virtual Safety Car period to fit a fresh set of Medium tyres that enabled him to catch and pass his team-mate before the chequered flag. His success brought an Italian driver back to the top step of the Monza podium for the first time in sixty years.”

Italian GP Results: