Kimi Antonelli wrote a new chapter in history at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, storming from 19th on the grid to take a dramatic victory. Former F1 driver David Coulthard has hailed the performance as that of a "phenomenon," placing it alongside the greatest drives in the sport's history.
For the Monza crowd, it was a dream come true. The Mercedes driver became the first Italian in 60 years to win the Italian Grand Prix. Not only that, it was his seventh career F1 win, but the most impressive one, carved from the back of the grid.
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, Coulthard expressed his admiration. "This is up there with the greats," he said. "I don't want to be seen to be elevating a 20-year-old with only seven victories to his name into the echelons of Hamilton, Verstappen, Senna, Schumacher—all the multiple world champions. But to position your car to keep out of trouble, to do everything he did, put a different helmet in there... If that was a Schumacher, if that was a Max, if that was a Senna, you would have gone, 'Yeah, of course we're seeing this because that's what we're used to seeing from them.'"
Coulthard added that there has to be a first time for everything. "That's why he is something like a phenomenon because that's the high-water line for Kimi right now. That's the best grand prix he's ever driven. It's the best victory he's ever had. And that tells us now what he's capable of. We knew he was a winner. We now know he's a racer and a winner," he explained.
The win extends Antonelli's lead in the drivers' championship. He now holds a 66-point advantage over his Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton follows in third, 76 points behind Antonelli.
With a stunning performance in front of the tifosi, Antonelli not only made history but also sent a clear message to his rivals: this year's world title is firmly within his grasp.
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Mercedes dominate Friday practice for the 2026 F1 Spanish GP at Madring. Russell fastest in long runs, ahead of Verstappen and Antonelli. Ferrari and McLaren lag behind.
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