Antonelli 'walks over water' for win that will go down in F1 folklore

Kimi Antonelli's astonishing victory in the Italian Grand Prix from 19th on the grid is set to become a part of Formula 1 folklore. Team boss Toto Wolff had predicted that one of his drivers would win before the race, stating that he was anticipating either George Russell, who started the race on the front row, or Kimi Antonelli, who was on the back row. Wolff explained that he knew Antonelli was determined to win the race, adding that both he and Antonelli's father had seen this coming during early sessions.

Fifth or sixth place was the general consensus for Antonelli's potential finish, but his remarkable progress in the early laps of the race changed everything. He moved from 14th after a conservative first lap to 12th by the end of the second lap, following Charles Leclerc's crash. By the restart, he was up to eighth, and on the back of the leading group of cars. A lap later, he was seventh, and then sixth. By now, Russell was leading after having overtaken Gasly.

Antonelli's ability to navigate through traffic and his remarkable performance caught the attention of many. Wolff highlighted the importance of the team and driver working as one, stating that such moments can change the course of a race. Russell and Max Verstappen were fighting at the front, costing each other time, while Antonelli was closing in on third place by lap 13, just 1.8 seconds behind Verstappen.

The race victory was still up in the air, with Antonelli's team suggesting they give it a rest and try to break away from Verstappen. However, they continued to inch clear, eventually crossing the line to win, marking a historic moment for Italian fans celebrating their first home victory in 60 years.