Kimi Antonelli stormed from nineteenth on the grid to win the Italian Grand Prix after Mercedes split their pit wall strategy at Monza.
The tactical divergence under a late Virtual Safety Car inadvertently cemented the championship leader as the race-winning priority. Mercedes called the Italian in for fresh medium tyres while his teammate remained exposed on an ageing hard compound.
Antonelli had already recovered ground following a mixed-up starting grid that featured Pierre Gasly on pole. The late pit stop gave the twenty-year-old a clear tyre advantage for the final stint.
Surprised By Split Pit Strategy
“To be honest I thought we were both going to stay out. I was surprised to see him pit,” the British driver said.
“Well, [the hard] was definitely the best tyre to take to the end,” he added.
The pace deficit left the second Mercedes helpless to defend the lead in the closing laps. The Italian eventually made the pass stick to secure his seventh victory of the season.
A 66-point deficit has forced the trailing driver to accept the situation. “Yeah, Kimi’s definitely in control of it and he’s deserving to be in control of it,” he confirmed.
He admitted he is “not even thinking” about a late championship fight.
Antonelli holds a commanding advantage as the 2026 season moves into the final ten grands prix.
