Monza - Race

Pierre Gasly surprised everyone when he qualified on pole in Monza, beating the Championship-leading Mercedes, as well as the home favourites, Ferrari. The frontrunners were thus eager to return to their "rightful" positions and push the Alpine back into the midfield. For some, the determination led to success.  For others, it ended in tragedy. 

Tensions were high at the starting grid of Formula One's quickest circuit. The two Ferrari drivers both wanted to shine in front of the Italian audience. Lewis Hamilton, who was starting behind his teammate, wasted no time before attempting an overtake. Charles Leclerc held his position, but ended up pushing the Brit off the circuit at the first chicane in the process, making him lose a few places. As they fought, Oscar Piastri tried to move past the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, but the Dutchman quickly regained his position. 

The first minutes of the Grand Prix were busy for Leclerc, who, alongside the man in front of him, George Russell, overtook Pierre Gasly during just the second lap. He was then promptly passed by Verstappen and fell into the clutches of Piastri. As he was fighting the McLaren for position, he lost control of his car and barreled into one of the walls surrounding the circuit. A red flag waved over the circuit as he climbed out of his destroyed Ferrari. He was thankfully unharmed, but the moment marked a bitter end to his long-awaited Italian weekend. 

A standing start, complete with a double formation lap following Tsunoda's wrong placement on the grid, brought racing back to the circuit. On lap six, the top five consisted of Russell, Gasly, Verstappen, Piastri, and Hamilton. There was, however, someone who slowly but surely made his way up the grid, his sights clearly set on the very front of the race. Kimi Antonelli exchanged multiple parts of his engine before the weekend in Monza and thus began the Grand Prix from the very back of the grid. Due to both his skill and the speed of his Mercedes, from the very first lap he made steady progress through the field, moving all the way to P4 by lap 12. 

While Antonelli soared, his teammate struggled. Russell held the lead from very early on but lost it to Verstappen on lap 12. He did manage to reclaim it, but his happiness did not last long. Hungrier than ever, his young teammate, aided by his fresh engine, quickly caught up to him and, on lap 18, moved into the lead. The following laps included a constant exchange of position between the two Mercedes. Every so often, the one in second performed an overtake, only to be attacked from behind a few laps later. 

The second disruption to the race came on lap 28 when Lance Stroll stopped by turn two. A virtual safety car forced the drivers to slow down as they moved around the track. Many drivers, including Antonelli and Verstappen, used this as an opportunity to change their tires at a lower time cost. Russell did not pit and stayed ahead of his teammate. Antonelli was, however, unstoppable and caught up to the Brit, overtaking him on lap 50. After an incredible recovery driver he took the win of his home Grand Prix, further solidifying his position at the top of the championship standings. 

Order of the grid:

1. Kimi Antonelli

2. George Russell

3. Max Verstappen

4. Lando Norris

5. Oscar Piastri

6. Lewis Hamilton

7. Pierre Gasly

8. Arvid Lindblad

9. Franco Colapinto

10. Yuki Tsunoda

11. Gabriel Bortoleto

12. Nico Hulkenberg

13. Carlos Sainz

14. Liam Lawson

15. Oliver Bearman

16. Esteban Ocon

17. Alex Albon

18. Sergio Perez

19. Valtteri Bottas

DNF: Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso, Charles Leclerc