Similar to six years in the past – when Pierre Gasly took victory for AlphaTauri – 6 September has proved to be a particular date on the Autodromo Nazionale in Monza.
In 2026, house hero Kimi Antonelli despatched the Italian crowd into raptures, after there had been tears among the many tifosi earlier on Sunday afternoon following Charles Leclerc’s heavy crash within the Parabolica.
Antonelli, nevertheless, went on to supply a outstanding comeback. After his energy unit change and a begin from nineteenth on the grid, no person anticipated him to win – which was really a part of the pondering behind the PU change, to take all of the stress off – however Antonelli nonetheless managed to do the unattainable.
The championship chief had already labored his approach as much as P12 by the point the pink flag got here out and, after the restart, continued to slice by way of the sphere like a sizzling knife by way of butter, on his approach to what Antonelli calls his finest Components 1 victory up to now.
Fernando Alonso was thought-about extremely optimistic along with his prediction that Antonelli would end on the rostrum, however Wolff knew – though he didn’t need to say it out loud earlier than the race – that the younger Italian was able to one thing particular in entrance of his house crowd.
“I believed one in every of our two drivers was going to win. Both George, as a result of he was on pole [Russell started second behind Gasly in the race], or Kimi, as a result of he will stroll on water right here in Monza. And I felt that yesterday additionally.”
Wolff stated that, similar to Antonelli’s father, he may already sense that one thing particular was within the air on Sunday at Monza
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photos through Getty Photos
Requested why he already sensed after qualifying that Antonelli would carry out a miracle, Wolff continued:
“It has been some time that I’ve seen driver’s vitality ranges, perspective, mindset, or behavioural patterns, and I knew that that was his mission as we speak, to win the race.
“I chatted along with his father yesterday and the daddy additionally noticed that coming.
“These are these moments the place you’ll be able to see how a weekend is panning out by way of the periods, feeling {that a} particular second may come. However it’s nonetheless a mechanical sport, so it will probably change rapidly.”
From heavy Parabolica crash to ‘the second of greatest glory’
Just one driver has ever received a race from additional again on the grid: John Watson at Lengthy Seashore in 1983.
It means everybody current at Monza witnessed one thing particular, though Wolff laughs when requested the place this victory ranks among the many most particular wins he has skilled in F1.
“This sounds very unromantic now, however I neglect about wins,” he stated. “There’s a number of that I bear in mind. Perhaps my first one, nevertheless it is not as glamorous as you desire to. It is Pastor Maldonado in Barcelona. Or Nico Rosberg with Mercedes-Benz, the primary one in Monaco. And Lewis Hamilton successful in Singapore.
“So there’s a number of of those huge ones. And definitely that is one which I’ll bear in mind.”
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In addition to the spectacular cost by way of the sphere, Wolff considers the victory particular for an additional cause: two years in the past, Antonelli suffered a heavy crash on the similar circuit when Mercedes handed him his F1 apply debut at Monza.
In response to Wolff, it exhibits simply how a lot Antonelli has developed in a brief time period.
“It is how the circle closed,” he stated. “Two years in the past in FP1, it was in all probability the hardest second in his profession for himself and his household. A second the place everybody doubted, together with himself.
“After which two years later, it is the most important glory, the most important second of his profession that is in all probability going to be one in every of his greatest moments general sooner or later.
“Even when he wins one other 200 grand prix, that one will all the time stay particular. And I feel that is the attitude underneath which I need to see it.”
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