Kimi Antonelli delivered one of the great Formula 1 drives to win the Italian Grand Prix from 19th on the grid, leaving team-mate George Russell's title hopes almost a lost cause. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff revealed he predicted the victory on Saturday, citing Antonelli's energy levels and mindset. "I thought one of the two is going to win," Wolff said. "Either George... or Kimi because he's going to walk over water, here at Monza."

Antonelli started at the back due to an engine penalty while Russell began on the front row alongside Pierre Gasly's Alpine. Russell needed to cut into Antonelli's 59-point championship lead but watched his team-mate surge through the field. Antonelli reached 12th before Charles Leclerc's crash triggered a red flag, then climbed to eighth on the restart and seventh after passing Lando Norris' McLaren.

Russell admitted: "As soon as I saw Kimi up to P5... I knew he was going to be in the fight." Wolff compared Antonelli's traffic management to Lewis Hamilton's best drives. The Mercedes pair ran one-two by lap 16, with team orders briefly considered before they edged clear of Max Verstappen. Antonelli's Monza masterclass will go down in F1 folklore.