Kimi Antonelli claimed a historic victory at the Italian Grand Prix, becoming the first Italian driver in 60 years to win at Monza. The Mercedes driver produced an extraordinary recovery from 19th on the grid, fighting through the field to secure a memorable home victory.
The result sparked huge celebrations among the Italian fans, who gave the 20-year-old a spectacular reception after he crossed the finish line.
“This is an incredible feeling. I honestly did not expect to win today, so I am extremely happy with the result. I never imagined that we would be able to fight for victory after starting so far back.There was one moment when I thought the opportunity had disappeared. When I first tried to overtake George, I went off the track and onto the gravel. It was a difficult moment, but fortunately we still had strong pace, so I continued to push.After the second restart, I knew we had the performance to fight for the win. I was able to stay close to George, although overtaking was difficult because the slipstream is particularly strong around this circuit.The final pit stop was also very important. George stayed out on worn tyres, while I had much fresher rubber. That gave me the opportunity to increase the pace and make the difference. From there, we managed the race well and brought home a victory that I will never forget.”
