Antonelli Charges From Back of Grid to Stun Monza After Leclerc Crash Red Flags Italian Grand Prix
Kimi Antonelli sliced through the field from the back of the grid to challenge for victory at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix, after a crash for Charles Leclerc brought the race to a halt and turned the order upside down.
Antonelli, the 2026 championship leader by 59 points over Mercedes team-mate George Russell and Lewis Hamilton after 12 rounds, started last at Monza because of a penalty for exceeding his permitted number of engine parts — a strategic call the team made knowing the high-speed Italian circuit offers overtaking opportunities. By lap three, he had already climbed to 12th BBC Sport.
Pierre Gasly's Alpine had taken a shock pole position, but Russell seized the lead at the start and looked comfortably in control. Then Leclerc, defending against Oscar Piastri, ran slightly wide at the Parabolica — the sweeping final corner — lost control, and hit the barriers hard. The red flag flew. Leclerc was unhurt, but marshals needed time to rebuild the barrier, and the race was stopped.
When the grand prix resumed, Russell led a six-car train with Antonelli tucked in at the rear. What followed was a charge worthy of the Tifosi's dreams, even if the Italian was driving a silver car. Antonelli picked off Gasly, Lewis Hamilton and Piastri in quick succession, joining a three-way fight for the lead with Russell and Max Verstappen.
The battle was fierce. Verstappen briefly grabbed first place from Russell on lap 11, only for Russell to reclaim it three laps later — Antonelli diving past the Red Bull into the second chicane at the same time. From laps 17 to 24, the two Mercedes traded places repeatedly, passing and re-passing while Verstappen sat right behind them, waiting for a mistake that never came.
A virtual safety car — a slowed pace across the whole track to clear a hazard — was triggered when Lance Stroll's Aston Martin broke down at the first chicane. Antonelli's side of the Mercedes garage gambled: he pitted for fresh tyres while Russell stayed out. Verstappen followed Antonelli in. The young Italian rejoined sixth, 15 seconds behind his team-mate BBC Sport.
Fresh rubber made the difference. Antonelli surged past Gasly, Lando Norris, Hamilton and Piastri, eating into Russell's advantage as the older tyres on the lead car began to fade. By lap 48, with five laps remaining, the two silver cars were nose to tail.
Antonelli's first real attempt came on lap 50 — a lunge into the first chicane that went wrong when he hit rubber debris (marbles, the bits of tyre that collect off the racing line) and slid into the gravel. A 1.7-second gap opened up. He closed it within two laps and made the move stick on the run between the Lesmo corners and Ascari, sweeping past Russell with the ease of a driver on far fresher rubber.
For Antonelli, the 18-year-old who became the youngest Monaco Grand Prix winner in history earlier this season and the first Italian to lead the Formula 1 world championship at Monza in 73 years, the drive was a statement delivered on home soil — even from the very back of the grid Reuters.
What makes this stand out is the maturity. A young driver, starting last in front of his home crowd, could easily have overdriven. Instead, Antonelli timed every move, managed his tyres, and recovered from a gravel excursion to pass a seven-time world champion's team-mate for the lead. Six race wins this season, a 59-point championship cushion, and now a recovery drive through the field at Monza — the maths of this title fight are tilting decisively in one direction.
