Exhausted by the emotions of a historic afternoon, Andrea Kimi Antonelli described his Monza triumph as the most special victory of his career after charging from 19th on the grid to win his home Italian Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver revealed that he could see the fans rising to their feet as he fought his way towards the front, giving him an extra surge of motivation at the crucial stages of his remarkable comeback.
Speaking to the Italian media after the race, including FormulaPassion, the Bologna-born driver tried to process the moments that will now become lasting memories. Kimi Antonelli refused to use the word “championship”, even though the result carries obvious significance for his title campaign, but admitted that he hopes he can one day experience something even better than what he described as the best day of his life.
Kimi Antonelli reveals when he started believing he could win at Monza
“We were quick today, but what made the difference was that after 15 laps I was already right up there at the front,” Kimi Antonelli said, still soaked in champagne. It was only once he had reached the leading positions that the Italian began to believe a victory might genuinely be possible.
“I told myself that after getting that far, I couldn’t not try to win. When the team told me to stop yo-yoing, I said, ‘OK, I’ll stay behind’, but that wasn’t going to last very long. Then the Virtual Safety Car came out, we decided to pit and that’s where the recovery started.”
Armed with a fresh set of medium tyres, Kimi Antonelli managed to recover 15 seconds to his team-mate. At that point, victory appeared to be within reach, until the Italian suddenly found himself in the gravel at the first chicane.
“It was really strange because there was a problem with the asphalt, which was breaking up, a bit like what happened in Monaco, and then there was tyre debris. I went wider to avoid George, who was on the inside, and when I turned the steering wheel, the car went completely straight. I had probably ended up on the dirty part of the track. I went off and said, ‘That’s it, I’ve lost my chance’. But afterwards I managed to close the gap again straight away.”
Antonelli recovers from gravel scare to beat George Russell
Kimi Antonelli had been given another opportunity, and this time he was not going to let it escape. He eventually took the lead and never surrendered it again, completing an extraordinary recovery against George Russell.
The Mercedes pit wall remained nervous all the way to the final lap, particularly when Kimi Antonelli decided to push for the fastest lap of the race despite having victory almost secured.
“Bono told me, ‘Bring the car home’. Then I came out of Lesmo 2 and he told me again, ‘Kimi, remember to bring the car home’.”
Fortunately for Mercedes race engineer Peter “Bono” Bonnington, Kimi Antonelli completed the job he had begun 52 laps earlier and crossed the line to seal one of the most memorable victories of his career.
Monza fans gave Antonelli an extra push during comeback
When asked which memory will mean more to him — his maiden Formula 1 victory in Shanghai or his home triumph at Monza — Kimi Antonelli had no hesitation.
“This is the most special one of all, because of the way it was won and because it’s my home Grand Prix. This is a victory that really feels good. Emotionally, it’s stronger than China.”
The emotions were particularly intense on the podium, where the crowd repeatedly chanted Kimi Antonelli’s name despite the sea of Ferrari flags around the Monza circuit.
“It was incredible. Honestly, the fans gave me an extra boost today. When I came out of the first chicane, I could see them in the grandstand out of the corner of my eye, and while I was making my comeback, they stood up every lap. That gave me energy. The fans made the difference.”
Antonelli refuses to focus on F1 title after crucial Monza result
The Italian Grand Prix victory was also important for Kimi Antonelli’s championship campaign because he arrived at Monza knowing he would have to serve a grid penalty for taking a new power unit. Instead of suffering a major loss of points, he transformed a 19th-place start into victory.
“It was a really great result, especially because of the Power Unit. I thought I would most likely lose points this weekend. To come out of it like this gives you a huge boost because I started 19th. It’s true that this is a track where you can come through the field, but only up to a certain point. Once you reach the leading group, it becomes more difficult because the pace between the different cars is closer.”
The result therefore carries major significance for the 2026 Formula 1 championship and the developing contest inside Mercedes. Kimi Antonelli, however, remains unwilling to focus on the title despite the growing importance of his battle with George Russell, whose position relative to his team-mate has already become a key factor in Mercedes’ championship fight.
First Italian Monza winner in 60 years says ‘it’s only the beginning’
Kimi Antonelli also became the first Italian driver to win at Monza since Ludovico Scarfiotti, ending a 60-year wait since Ferrari’s Italian driver triumphed at the circuit in 1966. Yet rather than dwelling on the historical significance of the achievement, Kimi Antonelli preferred to look ahead.
“For me, the important thing is that I won today, achieved a great result and had my family here with me. Being able to share this moment with them was the best thing possible. Obviously, it had also been a long time since an Italian had won, and I’m happy that I was the one who managed to do it, but we’re not stopping here. It’s only the beginning.”
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