Celebration time in Italy as one of their own (drivers) win the Italian GP. Sure he’s not driving a Ferrari, but Kimi Antonello did it some style too, winning from the back of the grid. Talking of style and attitude, our Italian Grand Prix Result Summary offer both for the keen F1 fan who may not have seen the race but wants more.
With just a hint of cynicism, bias, opinion and colour. The perfect bite sized review for those who couldn’t be bothered watching live in the parts of the planet where it’s night time, or don’t have enough time regardless of time zone.
Italian Grand Prix Result Race Summary
Didn’t see the race live? Don’t have time to watch the whole race? Here’s where we capture the laps where stuff happened. We write these live as we go, sort of like a minute by minute for the football, but marginally more interesting.
Setting the scene – QUALIFYING
Anyone who had Pierre Gasly in the Alpine taking pole position at Monza was either the ultimate F1 tipster, the luckiest punter on earth, or has travelled into the future. Not to take anything away from Gasly, as it was a super performance, in a car that is improved for sure but fifth-best at best. It looked a great battle of Mercedes v Ferrari before that, and Oscar Piastri helped himself to some limelight with a much needed decent qualifying hit out in 3rd, although later dropped to 6th for getting in the way of Liam Lawson as he exited the pits, he’s ahead of Lando Norris for a change. Kimi Antonelli will start from the back after engine penalties, and talking of the back, Lance Stroll celebrated his 100th Q1 exit. This is some effort really, because usually anyone that bad at their job in F1 would have been sacked 50 Q1 exits ago.
GRID AFTER Q3 – GAS RUS PIA* LEC HAM VER ANT ** COL NOR LIN
* 3 Grid penalty for impeding Liam Lawson
** Starts from back after multiple mechanical penalties
Setting the scene – RACEDAY
It’s perfect conditions for an Italian Grand Pri, one that takes the least amount of time start to finish because of the average speed. There’s a few penalties and the back of the grid is more popular than usual, may as well here because you can overtake if you’re fast enough. Liam Lawson, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Antonelli, Aleq Albon are all at the back of the grid, giving the Cadillacs and Lance Stroll potential breathing problems due to the altitude of their start positions.
The Ferraris and Verstappen are starting on the soft tyres for some early lift-off, and Antonelli at the back is on hard tyres. The rest of the more winnable drivers and teams are on mediums.Â
STATRTING GRID – GAS RUS LEC HAM VER PIA COL NOR LIN BOR
Lap 1 – Pierre Gasly gets away well, and good enough to outdrags Russell and the two Ferraris into the first chicane. The Ferrari play silly buggers behind though, and have a small touch going into the first part of the chicane, then Charles Leclerc simply runs Lewis Hamilton off the road on the net part of the chicane, Hamitlon loses several places. Verstappen and Piastri swap places before and during the second chicane. Yuki Tsunoda goes off into gravel but continues. Gasly holds on for the first lap at least but not much more.
ORDER – GAS RUS LEC VER PIA COL NOR LIN BEA HAM
Lap 2 – George Russell flies past the Alpine on the pit straight just as the second lap commences and Charles Leclerc sneaks past Gasly into the first chicane, and the drop from first to third may get worse as Verstappen looks keen to get past as well. But that will have to wait as Gasly re-takes his second position as he gets some MarioKart power through the Grande Curva. George Russell is creeping away in front. Through the fast chicane near the end of the lap Verstappen overtakes Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri tries it on too, and they almost touch going into the final Parabolica corner. But just a few metres later…
MASSIVE CRASH – It’s Charles Leclerc into the barriers at full speed. He’s out for sure, and we hope he’s ok. And he is. Franco Colapinto gets past Piastri which hints the McLaren may have been involved in the prang. Piastri was not involved, it was Charles getting the power down after holding off Piastri and he loses the back end and flies off backwards into the barriers.
SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED
ORDER – RUS GAS VER COL PIA NOR LIN HAM BEA OCO
The tyre barrier is understandably in not great shape, much like the Ferrari, and the race is stopped. As are the hearts of the Italian fans Tifosi. They love Leclerc and Ferrari more than their own countryman Antonelli. Leclerc  gets into the Medical Car and seems ok. Although he might need something more armoured to get away from the fans.
RED FLAG – RACE STOPPED
Bit of a race update further back. Kimi Antonelli who started from 22nd is up to 12th after a few laps. Liam Lawson has done ok up to 15th from 24th. No luck for the Aston Martins who are last, Alonso behind Stroll.
Race will resume about an hour after it started, which is a real shame, because those who watch these races at night enjoy Italy because it’s usually very fast, but now this race won’t restart much before it should have initially ended. The rest of the race better be good. The first two laps sure have been, unless you are a Ferrari fan, which we’re not.
RACE RESUMES
The cars leave the pits and do what looks like another formation lap, not sure if it counts for a lap, but it will be a standing start, which is great.
ORDER – RUS GAS VER COL PIA NOR LIN HAM BEA OCO
An anti climax here as Yuki Tsunoda forgets which side of the grid he’s on and stuffs his starting place. So another Formation lap is needed.
Lap 6 – George Russell is now on pole for the restart and he does ok, but Gasly does better and gets to the outside but can’t get past, but his team mate Colapinto does get past Verstappen in a nice move. It doesn’t last long though as Verstappen gets past him at the second chicane, and then a few metres later Coalpinto is off onto the gravel and grass at the first Lesmos turn, but avoids the barrier and continues. Lewis Hamitlon meanwhile has made a good start and is ahead of Oscar Piastri as the lap ends. Into the fast chicane Arvid Lindblad gets by Lando Norris, and Kimi Antonelli looks he won’t take long to demote Norris further, and he does, and Norris gets back in front of Lindblad. It’s hard keeping up with all the action. Antonelli is 6th, after effectively three racing laps from 22nd.
ORDER – RUS GAS VER HAM PIA ANT NOR LIN BEA TSU
Lap 7 – Verstappen passes Gasly for second into the Parabolica corner, and he has enough MarioKart power to stay in front too. Norris and Antonelli continue arguing over 6th place.
Lap 9 – The race has got a little quieter so time to check a few boring things, and there’s nothing more boring than George Russell. He’s just over 1.5 second in front of Ma Verstappen who has a second to Lewis Hamilton and the cars behind that have developed a nice little train.
Lap 10 – Lewis Hamilton demotes Pierre Gasly further sadly. The Frenchman does have a big crack at stealing back his third place at the second chicane and falls just short. Which hurts more when Oscar Piastri overtakes a few corners later and Kimi Antonelli the corner after that.
ORDER – RUS VER HAM PIA ANT GAS NOR LIN TSU BEA
Lap 12 – Verstappen has closed right in on George Russell, and going down the pit straight to start lap 12 the Red Bull goes past the Mercedes and takes the lead going into the first chicane. A little further behind Piastri overtakes Hamilton too and Antonelli a corner later by the looks. What a drive from 22nd on the grid, worth the penalties for the action. He has a big enough gap in the Championship.
ORDER – VER RUS PIA ANT HAM GAS NOR LIN TSU BEA
Lap 13 – Doesn’t take long for Kimi Antonelli to get past Oscar Piastri for third. He’ll probably win the race at this rate. He certainly will give himself a chance on current pace, and with two driver who don’t like each other ahead.
Lap 14 – Great battle at the front between Russell and Verstappen, as the Mercedes almost gets past at the second chicane. All the while, Kimi is getting closer.
Lap 15 – Russell finally re-overtakes Verstappen into the second chicane, and the Red Bull is under immediate pressure from Antonelli. Just a lap later the young Mercedes driver goes around the outside of Verstappen at the fast Curva Grande in a worryingly easy move for the rest of the field. He’s on track for the win here, a first win for an Italian at the Italian GP in 60 years.
ORDER – RUS ANT VER HAM PIA GAS NOR LIN TSU BEA
Lap 19 – Kimi Antonelli has the pace going down the pit straight and outbrakes his team mate into the first corner and he tames the lead, after starting from the back of the grid. Verstappen has joined in for the battle for first, really annoying George Russell. The three cars are almost together as they head into the first chicane. Further back Oscar Piastri overtakes Hamilton and looks like he keeps it this time.
Lap 20 – Using MarioKart power boost, George Russell gets past his team mate into the first chicane, but the youngster is not letting him have it easy, he’s taken Russell back by the second chicane. And it looks like they will do it over and over again. These two Mercedes drivers are over a second in front of Verstappen now. So it looks a two horse race.
Lap 22 – After George Russell overtakes Kimi Antnoelli into the first chicane again, and then provides a masterclass into blocking through the fast corner into the second chicane, Antonelli essentially gives Russell the finger by passing him around the outside of the second chicane entry. There’s just as much fun going on further back between Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris.
Lap 23 – George Russell gets by Antonelli again and keeps the lead for now and the following lap, but it probably won’t last long. Verstappen is creeping closer too.
ORDER – RUS ANT VER PIA HAM NOR GAS LIN TSU BEA
Lap 26 – A few laps without action gives the fingers a rest and thank goodness. If this race hasn’t provided enough action for you then you are hard to please. Much like Lance Stroll. Gabriel Bortoleto gets by Oliver Bearman for 10th in some midfield action update.
Lap 28 – Aston Martin tell Lance Stroll to stop the car due to mechanical failure,
VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED
Lap 29 – With the Virtual Safety Car, some cars dive into the pits for new tyres and hopes for the second half of the race. Kimi Antonelli does pit, Russell does not, Verstappen does. As do less important cars, as the Virtual Safety Car ends, leaving his nearest rivals for wins back in 6th and 7th now.
ORDER: RUS PIA HAM NOR GAS ANT VER LIN TSU COL
VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR ENDS
Lap 32 – Antonelli is already up to 4th and making light work of others. More light work is expected as he closes up on Lewis Hamilton.
Lap 34 – George Russell has an 11 second pitstop to Antonelli in 4th, but he’s already been on the radio blubbing about his tyres, but is lucky to have Piastri and Hamilton in between. And then a lap later it’s only Piastri in between as Lewis Hamilton goes straight on through the first chicane and abandons 3rd place but continues.
Lap 37 – Kimi Antonelli strolls (no, not that one he’s a DNF) past Oscar Piastri into the first chicane and takes second. The McLaren will probably have to worry about Verstappen soon enough.
BIG MOMENT: George Russell is under investigation for a penalty for a yellow flag infringement. He’s got eight seconds to Antonelli. Penalty is dismissed. All good.
Lap 39 – Verstappen flies past Oscar Piastri into the second chicane and the polite Australian loses his podium. All he needs are the two Mercedes to crash into each other at lower speed to move upwards.
ORDER – RUS ANT VER PIA HAM NOR GAS LIN TSU COL
Lap 41 – Oscar Piastri isn’t taking the Verstappen move lying down, although they sort-of are as that’s the way they sit in an F1 car these days, but anyway Piastri overtakes him at the same place as two laps prior to take back his podium.
Lap 42 – Verstappen looks set to re-take that podium, but he locks up into the first chicane and has to drive through the escape road to slow him down. Lewis Hamilton also locks up without the additional trip through the escape road but loses a place to Lando Norris.
Lap 43 – Verstappen does it properly this time and overtakes Piastri into turn one.
ORDER – RUS ANT VER PIA NOR HAM GAS LIN COL TSU
Lap 44 – Reports from Pierre Gasly that the track is breaking up somewhere which should make things very different. Meanwhile Piastri is falling backwards into the hands of his McLaren team mate, and given how team orders are dealt our at McLaren, Norris should be in front by the end of the race.
Lap 46 – Moving further forward, and as forward as we can get for now, Kimi Antonelli is almost within two seconds of his race-leading team mate.
Lap 49 – That gap is down to under a second between the two Mercedes out in front, and it closes to metres as they start lap 49, George Russell stays in front but does lock up a little giving Antonelli a sniff on the outside of the exit of the first chicane, but he drops it into the gravel on the outside of the chicane, and does a good job saving it, but will have more work to do to catch up and get close enough to pass again.
Lap 50 – Kimi Antonelli surprises Russell with a move halfway around the lap before the fast chicane and takes the lead with three laps to go, much to the joy of the crowd who have very little Ferrari to be happy about.
Lap 51 – Further back in another intra team battle Lando Norris tries to go around the outside of Oscar Piastri at the Curva Grande but ends up in the dust on the outside and does well to save the car from a much worse fate than not gaining a position. Lando claims he was pushed off, but doesn’t appear so on replays.
Lap 52 – Kimi Antonelli has broken George Russell and has a two second lead going into the last lap.
FINAL LAP – Kimi has enough of a lead to savour the roar of the crowd as he cruises to a home win, and from the back of the grid no less, equalling the win by John Watson in 1983 from 22nd place. Lando Norris gets by Oscar Paistri for fourth around the last lap.
FINAL ORDER (Across the line): ANT RUS VER NOR PIA HAM GAS LIN COL TSU
Here we go through the field and highlight the very best (Great) of the race, and the plodders, the over-ambitious, the out of luck, and simply hopeless (Grape).
These points get added to our Driver of the Season scores. 5 points for a great nomination, and -5 for the worst or grapest driver in the pack. Then it is +2 /-2 for honourable or dishonourable mentions.
THE GREAT-EST – KIMI ANTONELLI
It doesn’t get much better for a driver than a home win, let alone one from 22nd on the grid, let alone one of those wins that extends a Championship lead and probably broke the spirits of some of the chasing pack for season glory.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
PIERRE GASLY – Took a maiden pole position and did well in the early laps to hang on to the top three. Ultimately fell backwards behind the fastest big four cars, but clearly the best of the rest representative this weekend.
OSCAR PIASTRI – So overtaken on the last lap for fifth by his team mate, but did qualify ahead of him for the first time in a while and the third qualifying slot was great and a welcome return to form. Looked to be in a Webber career death spiral recently an this should give confidence, if not more Championship points than he deserved.
YUKI TSUNODA – A point on his return for Racing Bulls is a good return. Even better for the team is the continued form of Lindblad who helped himself to more points too.
THE GRAPE-EST – CHARLES LECLERC
Dumping the car into the barriers at the Italian GP in a Ferrari is not only bad but risks the wrath of the fans. Pity, looked an ok weekend for him before then.
DISHONOURABLE MENTIONS
LANCE STROLL – A now-standard DNF and Q1 departure.
LEWIS HAMILTON – Bit of a weak result in front of adoring home crowd, compounded with Leclerc’s early bath.
CADILLAC – It might be unfair, but Cadillac are pointless in a few different ways.
Was it a good race, loads of action, a tense ending, a surprise result or DNF, or just a big, fat, snooze-fest?
We rate the big race itself, so we know which races to go back and watch in the off season or one to simply remember the winner for the post season quiz nights.
PRE RACE ACTION (FP, QUAL, SPRINT, OFF TRACK etc) – 5 / 5
Monza is a great track for excitement and history, and F1 broadcasts usually do some good hype work, and then for an unexpected pole sitter in Pierre Gasly to really mix things up, all without rain, is good stuff.
ON TRACK ACTION (RACE) – 9 / 10
So much overtaking it was hard to keep up. Even multiple changes for the lead.
ANY SURPRISES? – 5 / 5
Pierre Gasly’s pole in a dry scenario is definitely surprising.
SEASON IMPORTANCE – 4 / 5
Kimi Antonelli extends his advantage in the Championship as one rival (Leclerc) crashes out.
ENDING – 4 / 5
It took until the last lap of the race before you felt the race was going to slow down, it is some kind of track, and the new rules helped here.
OVERALL RATING – 27 / 30
Some kind of track. History, speed, overtaking, big moments. Only downside was the long wait for the race ot be restarted.
2026 F1 Season Preview Gear
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