KIMI ANTONELLI MAKES F1 HISTORY WITH RECORD 26 OV….See more in comment

KIMI ANTONELLI MAKES F1 HISTORY WITH RECORD 26 OV….See more in comment

   A charge for the record books

Kimi Antonelli didn’t just win the Italian GP — he rewrote the F1 history books doing it. Starting 19th on the grid due to power unit penalties, the 20-year-old Mercedes driver carved through the field to take victory at Monza, completing *26 overtakes in a single race*. That total sets a new record for the most overtakes in one Grand Prix, surpassing the previous benchmark of 25 set by Lewis Hamilton across a sprint and race in Brazil in 2021. Pirelli Motorsport Director Dario Marrafuschi highlighted the feat, noting Antonelli “completing 26 overtakes and taking advantage of a Virtual Safety Car period to fit a fresh set of Medium tyres” on his way to the win.

  How Monza unfolded for the Italian

Antonelli’s race was relentless from the start. He gained seven positions in the opening stages and was already up to 12th by the lap-2 red flag for Charles Leclerc’s crash. By lap 18 he had reached the front for the first time, before settling into a fight with teammate George Russell. The decisive moment came under a Virtual Safety Car on lap 29, when Mercedes pitted Antonelli for fresh mediums while Russell stayed out on old hards. After a brief off at Turn 1 and a failed attempt on lap 49, Antonelli finally got past Russell at Ascari on lap 50 and pulled away to win. “Twenty-six overtakes sealed one of the most incredible victories in F1 history,” one report noted.

     More than just numbers

The win was historic on multiple fronts. Antonelli became the first Italian to win at Monza since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966, and the first driver to win from 19th or worse since John Watson in 1983. The victory also stretched his championship lead over Russell to 66 points with 10 races to go. For Mercedes and Italy, it was the perfect home story — a young local hero turning a grid penalty into a record-breaking drive. As Antonelli himself put it after the flag: “It feels like a dream, it’s crazy”.