Kimi Antonelli remained in the spotlight of Formula 1 this Monday after the historic victory at the Italian GP. Starting only from 19th position, the Italian won in Monza, becoming the first driver from his country to triumph on the circuit since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966 and also led a Mercedes one-two finish.
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The performance gained even greater dimension due to the numbers. Antonelli achieved the victory with the second worst starting position of a winner in F1 history, behind only John Watson, who won in Long Beach in 1983 starting from 22nd. Nico Rosberg also compared the recovery of the 20-year-old to the great performances of Michael Schumacher, while George Russell, second place, consolidated himself in second place in the championship.
While Mercedes celebrated, Ferrari started the week trying to manage the consequences of a complicated home GP. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc touched on the first lap, and the Monegasque later retired after a heavy crash. Frédéric Vasseur admitted that the team now needs to discuss its internal orders policy, after defending until now the freedom for both drivers to fight for positions.
Leclerc’s situation also became a concern for the next round. The driver left the medical center without an identified injury but revealed a temporary vision alteration after the impact and stated that he will undergo further examinations before confirming his participation in Madrid. Ferrari also intends to investigate a possible difference in power delivery perceived by the driver before the accident.
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Hamilton, in turn, assessed that Ferrari has already missed the ideal moment to use team orders in favor of its title fight. After finishing only sixth in Monza, the Briton stated that the decision would come “many weeks” too late, increasing the weight of the internal debate precisely as the season enters its decisive phase.
And Formula 1 already shifts focus to a completely new territory. Next weekend marks the debut of Madring, in Madrid, as the venue for the Spanish GP. The semi-permanent circuit will be new for the entire grid, although Ferrari sees its more winding characteristics as a possibility for a reaction after the difficulties faced on the long straights of Monza.
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