Italian Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli's Monza Victory - A Formula 1 Folklore Moment
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Antonelli 'walks over water' for win that will go down in F1 folklore
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Kimi Antonelli's victory from 19th on the grid is the second furthest back a driver has come from to win a grand prix
By Andrew Benson, F1 Correspondent at Monza
Published 21 minutes ago
Kimi Antonelli's stunning victory in the Italian Grand Prix from 19th on the grid will be remembered as one of Formula 1's most remarkable comebacks, a moment that will go down in F1 folklore. And remarkably, his team boss Toto Wolff predicted it beforehand.
Wolff's Pre-Race Prediction:
After Sunday's race, Wolff revealed his conviction: "I thought one of the two [Russell or Antonelli] is going to win. Either George, because he was on the front row, or Kimi because he's going to walk over water, here at Monza. And I felt that yesterday also."
A Miracle in the Making:
Wolff explained his reasoning: "It's been a while that I've seen drivers... Energy levels, mindset or behavioural pattern. I knew that was his mission today, to win the race. I chatted with his father yesterday. The father also saw that coming."
Antonelli, who started from 19th due to grid penalties, described his thoughts: "I had thought a podium was possible."
A Race of Miracles:
His early laps were nothing short of extraordinary. He progressed from 14th to 12th after the first lap, and by the second lap following Charles Leclerc's crash, he was already in 10th place. By lap three, he was challenging the leading pack.
"With the red flag, I was already P12," Antonelli said. "And then I knew that I could have a shot at it."
A Challenging Race for Russell:
For George Russell, this race was about managing his championship lead. While Antonelli pulled off the impossible, Russell focused on securing points and reducing his 59-point deficit.
"A great race from the neutral perspective," Russell said. "As soon as I saw Kimi up to P5 after a handful of laps, I knew he was going to be in the fight with us."