Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 Italian Grand Prix after qualifying 19th, beating George Russell by 3.857 seconds to put his Monza comeback in record territory.
Kimi Antonelli won at Monza on September 6 after qualifying 19th, delivering a comeback worthy of Formula 1’s record book. After 53 laps, the Mercedes driver finished 3.857 seconds ahead of George Russell, while Max Verstappen crossed the line 14.718 seconds behind the winner.
A rare route from the back
The starting position gives the victory its historical significance. A driver lining up 19th has nearly the whole field ahead, and Monza’s high speeds mean each overtake relies on timing, positioning and enough straight-line performance.
Antonelli was initially listed 19th on the grid, although circumstances promoted him to 12th before the start. The distinction is important in record comparisons. He won after qualifying 19th, but launched from a higher effective position.
Both figures belong in the assessment. Qualifying 19th captures the scale of his recovery across the weekend, while 12th is the clearer measure of Antonelli’s progress during the race.
The deepest winning start of 2026
No winner in the opening 13 Grands Prix of 2026 had completed a comparable recovery. Antonelli finished the Italian Grand Prix in 1:51:15.281, passing teammate Russell late to claim his seventh victory of the season.
That late move adds weight to the result.
Antonelli didn’t inherit first place at the finish. He beat the other Mercedes on track, completing his comeback through a direct fight with the driver who won in Australia and Austria.
Monza changes the quality of the record
Antonelli had already won in China, Japan, Miami, Canada, Monaco and Belgium in 2026. Monza brought a different type of accomplishment. Those six wins established his consistency at the front, while the Italian Grand Prix showed he could recover from a compromised grid position.
Antonelli’s season should therefore be measured by the range of his victories as well as the total. Monaco demanded 78 laps in 2:23:31.243. Belgium ran for 44 laps, with Charles Leclerc finishing 1.952 seconds behind. At Monza, Antonelli worked through traffic before defeating Russell.
Mercedes adds another one-two
Mercedes had won nine of the first 13 races by the end of the Italian Grand Prix. Antonelli delivered seven of those victories, while Russell claimed the other two.
The team also secured a one-two finish at Monza. Russell’s second place gave Mercedes the best finishing combination possible, despite its drivers battling for the lead late in the race.
Mercedes has two proven winners, but one driver is defining its season. Antonelli has delivered seven of the team’s nine victories, placing his individual campaign at the heart of Mercedes’ 2026 record.
Madrid offers the immediate comparison
Formula 1 heads next to Spain for Round 14, scheduled for September 11 to 13. Antonelli arrives with seven victories from the opening 13 Grands Prix, compared with Russell’s two.
The next historical test is clear. Antonelli must establish whether the Monza recovery was a one-off path to victory or evidence that Mercedes can win from compromised positions again, starting with practice in Madrid on September 11.
