Monza delivered far more than a remarkable winner. The 2026 Italian Grand Prix brought an early Ferrari flashpoint, a red flag, a three-way contest at the front and a McLaren duel that remained unresolved until the final lap. Kimi Antonelli emerged victorious ahead of George Russell and Max Verstappen.

Starting 19th after an engine penalty, Antonelli supplied the headline. Around him, however, the race repeatedly changed direction: Ferrari lost its chance to challenge with both cars, Alpine’s pole position became a fight for points, and Aston Martin’s retirement drama helped reshape the winning strategy.

Lap one: Hamilton and Leclerc clash at the first chicane

Ferrari started with Charles Leclerc third and Lewis Hamilton fourth. At the first corner, Hamilton attacked down his team-mate’s inside. The pair negotiated the chicane side by side, but Hamilton ran wide into the gravel at the exit of Turn 2 and dropped down the order.

The immediate cost was track position. Instead of maintaining two Ferraris near the leaders, the team had Hamilton recovering through traffic before the opening lap was complete. Formula1.com’s team report described the episode as a racing incident.

“We’ll take it offline.”

Lap two: Leclerc’s separate accident brings out the red flag

Ferrari’s situation deteriorated on the following lap. Leclerc crashed heavily at the final corner, bringing his race to an end and forcing a stoppage for barrier repairs. This was a separate incident from his first-lap confrontation with Hamilton.

Ahead, Russell had already passed pole-sitter Pierre Gasly for the lead. Antonelli, meanwhile, had reached 12th before the interruption. When racing resumed, the Mercedes driver continued moving forward, turning a recovery mission into a challenge to the front-runners.

Russell, Verstappen and Antonelli trade blows

Gasly could not sustain his early position against the leading cars. Verstappen moved into the fight with Russell, and the pair exchanged the lead before Antonelli joined them. The race became a contest between two Mercedes and a Red Bull, with the order repeatedly shifting.

For Russell, clearing the opening traffic had not produced a comfortable escape. Verstappen remained a threat, while Antonelli’s progress meant that the car starting near the back was now a direct rival for victory.

Aston Martin’s trouble changes the strategic picture

Neither Aston Martin reached the finish. Fernando Alonso retired after picking up damage, while Lance Stroll stopped with a suspected hydraulic issue.

Stroll’s stoppage triggered a Virtual Safety Car. Antonelli and Verstappen used the neutralisation to change tyres, while Russell stayed out. Antonelli took fresh mediums; Verstappen switched to hards. The leading Mercedes retained track position but now faced pursuers on fresher rubber.

Antonelli wins the Mercedes duel; Verstappen secures third

Antonelli caught Russell, but his late challenge included a trip through the gravel at the first chicane. He recovered and made the decisive pass on the approach to Ascari with four laps remaining.

Russell finished 3.857 seconds behind, completing a Mercedes one-two. Verstappen secured third, unable to match the final outcome of the Mercedes contest but finishing ahead of both McLarens.

Norris beats Piastri on the final lap

McLaren’s race had its own tense conclusion. Lando Norris worked forward from eighth on the grid and challenged Oscar Piastri for fourth. An earlier exchange sent Norris onto the grass, but the fight continued.

Norris finally completed the pass into Ascari on the last lap. Just 0.197 seconds separated the McLarens at the flag. Afterwards, Norris characterised the contest as fair, despite his initial radio frustration. Piastri took fifth, with Hamilton bringing Ferrari’s remaining car home sixth.

Alpine and Racing Bulls share the remaining points

Gasly finished seventh after starting from pole. Franco Colapinto’s afternoon also contained a major reversal: he briefly reached third after the restart, then went off at the first Lesmo and fell back. His recovery to ninth ensured both Alpines scored.

Arvid Lindblad took eighth for Racing Bulls, with team-mate Yuki Tsunoda tenth in the published results. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg finished immediately outside the points. Audi subsequently notified the FIA of its intention to appeal the decision not to penalise Tsunoda over the restart.

What Monza means for the championship

Antonelli’s seventh win of the season extended his lead over Russell to 66 points. He also became the first Italian to win the Italian Grand Prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.

Yet the wider race matters too. Mercedes converted its speed into the top two positions; Ferrari left with one sixth-place finish; McLaren’s final-lap fight determined its points split. Monza’s defining comeback sat inside a much broader afternoon of opportunity, damage limitation and lost ground.

Full race classification

DNF = did not finish. Gaps are to the winner. Classification reproduced from the published race results. Audi announced its intention to appeal the Tsunoda decision; no subsequent appeal outcome is reflected in this table.