Why Toto Wolff already knew Kimi Antonelli “would walk on water” at F1 Italian GP
Just like six years ago – when Pierre Gasly took victory for AlphaTauri – 6 September has proved to be a special date at the Autodromo Nazionale in Monza.
In 2026, home hero Kimi Antonelli sent the Italian crowd into raptures, after there had been tears among the tifosi earlier on Sunday afternoon following Charles Leclerc’s heavy crash in the Parabolica.
Antonelli, however, went on to produce a remarkable comeback. After his power unit change and a start from 19th on the grid, nobody expected him to win – which was actually part of the thinking behind the PU change, to take all the pressure off – but Antonelli still managed to do the impossible.
The championship leader had already worked his way up to P12 by the time the red flag came out and, after the restart, continued to slice through the field like a hot knife through butter, on his way to what Antonelli calls his best Formula 1 victory so far.
Fernando Alonso was considered highly optimistic with his prediction that Antonelli would finish on the podium, but Wolff knew – even though he did not want to say it out loud before the race – that the young Italian was capable of something special in front of his home crowd.
“I thought one of our two drivers was going to win. Either George, because he was on pole [Russell started second behind Gasly in the race], or Kimi, because he’s going to walk on water here in Monza. And I felt that yesterday also.”
Wolff said that, just like Antonelli’s father, he could already sense that something special was in the air on Sunday at Monza
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Asked why he already sensed after qualifying that Antonelli would perform a miracle, Wolff continued:
“It’s been a while that I’ve seen driver’s energy levels, attitude, mindset, or behavioural patterns, and I knew that that was his mission today, to win the race.
“I chatted with his father yesterday and the father also saw that coming.
“These are those moments where you can see how a weekend is panning out through the sessions, feeling that a special moment could come. But it’s still a mechanical sport, so it can change quickly.”
From heavy Parabolica crash to ‘the moment of biggest glory’
Only one driver has ever won a race from further back on the grid: John Watson at Long Beach in 1983.
It means everyone present at Monza witnessed something special, although Wolff laughs when asked where this victory ranks among the most special wins he has experienced in F1.
“This sounds very unromantic now, but I forget about wins,” he said. “There’s a few that I remember. Maybe my first one, but it isn’t as glamorous as you would like. It’s Pastor Maldonado in Barcelona. Or Nico Rosberg with Mercedes-Benz, the first one in Monaco. And Lewis Hamilton winning in Singapore.
“So there’s a few of these big ones. And certainly this is one that I will remember.”
Besides the spectacular charge through the field, Wolff considers the victory special for another reason: two years ago, Antonelli suffered a heavy crash at the same circuit when Mercedes handed him his F1 practice debut at Monza.
According to Wolff, it shows just how much Antonelli has developed in a short period of time.
“It’s how the circle closed,” he said. “Two years ago in FP1, it was probably the toughest moment in his career for himself and his family. A moment where everyone doubted, including himself.
“And then two years later, it’s the biggest glory, the biggest moment of his career that’s probably going to be one of his biggest moments overall in the future.
“Even if he wins another 200 grand prix, that one will always remain special. And I think that’s the perspective under which I want to see it.”
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