Kimi Antonelli produced one of the drives of the season to win Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix from 20th on the grid, delivering a home victory for Italy at Monza on the very day Monaco’s Charles Leclerc crashed out early, dashing Ferrari’s own home hopes in front of the Tifosi.
Leclerc’s race unravelled just two laps in. Starting third after Oscar Piastri picked up a grid penalty following Saturday’s qualifying, the Monégasque made an aggressive start, battling briefly with teammate Lewis Hamilton at the opening chicane before settling into a fight for the final podium spot.
As the field exited the high-speed Parabolica corner while chasing Max Verstappen, Leclerc’s Ferrari suddenly snapped into oversteer, sending him spearing into the tyre barrier at an impact later measured at around 60G. The crash destroyed the barrier and brought out the first red flag at Monza since 1995.
Leclerc climbed from the wreckage unaided, telling those nearby it had been a big crash and that he was sorry, admitting he had struggled badly with the car’s balance. He was taken to the medical centre as a precaution after triggering the car’s onboard G-sensors, before being released with no injuries detected.
Speaking to media afterward, Leclerc said his vision had briefly been affected in his right eye immediately after the impact, the thing that had worried him most getting out of the car, but confirmed it had since returned to normal, along with some general soreness he described as expected after a crash of that nature. He added that he expected to undergo further precautionary checks over the following two days to ensure he is fully fit for next weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, while suggesting the crash may have been linked to a change in power delivery between laps one and two, though he was cautious about offering a firm explanation before reviewing the data.
With Leclerc out and the race restarted behind a safety car, Antonelli, racing in front of his home crowd after starting from the back of the grid due to a fresh power unit fitted by Mercedes, began an extraordinary recovery drive. He worked his way through the field before eventually taking the lead from teammate George Russell at the start of Lap 18.
Antonelli went on to seal a remarkable victory that further strengthens his hold on this year’s championship. Russell held on for second, with Verstappen completing the podium in third.
Lando Norris and Piastri followed in fourth and fifth for McLaren, with Hamilton sixth. Pierre Gasly, who had claimed a stunning first career pole position just a day earlier, came home seventh for Alpine, unable to convert his best qualifying performance into the result his weekend had promised.
Ferrari, by contrast, endured a bitter home weekend. Leclerc’s race had begun with genuine podium hopes, only to finish with their championship contender sidelined early, dealing the Scuderia’s title prospects a further blow on the most important weekend of their year.