F1 leader Kimi Antonelli wins Italian GP after epic charge from the back

What the report says

Kimi Antonelli delivered a standout victory at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday, winning from 19th on the grid in front of a home crowd. Al Jazeera reports that the 20-year-old Mercedes driver became the first Italian winner of the race in 60 years, and the first domestic champion there since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966. The result also extended Antonelli’s lead in the Formula 1 drivers’ standings as he continued his push for Italy’s first world title since Alberto Ascari in 1953.

The race was shaped early by a crash involving Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, after contact with teammate Lewis Hamilton and a subsequent loss of control that brought out a red flag. Antonelli had already climbed from the back to 12th by that point, and he kept advancing after the restart in a race marked by frequent overtaking and strategy swings.

Antonelli ultimately overtook teammate and title rival George Russell, finishing 3.857 seconds ahead. A tyre change during a virtual safety car helped his charge, while Russell later said he had struggled on tyres. Max Verstappen took third for Red Bull. The result mattered both for the championship fight and for Italian fans, who saw a rare home triumph at their national Grand Prix.