Kimi Antonelli extended his winning streak to five races with a composed and impressive victory at a chaotic Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, further strengthening his grip on the Formula 1 championship.
The 19-year-old Italian started from pole position in his Mercedes and built up a healthy lead, only for the race to be dramatically halted by a red flag after Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari crashed and damaged the surface at the final corner. After a delay of around 40 minutes while repairs were carried out, the race resumed with a standing start, but Antonelli kept his nerve brilliantly to become the youngest ever winner of the iconic Monaco Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton finished second for the second race in a row, with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar coming home third, though he was among several drivers under investigation for various infringements.
Hamilton’s podium finish saw him equal the late Ayrton Senna’s record of eight Monaco podiums, and he moved above Antonelli’s teammate George Russell into second place in the championship standings, though he remains 66 points behind the runaway leader.
Antonelli was understandably delighted after the race. “It’s been an incredible weekend and an incredible race,” he said. “We had incredible pace and it all came so naturally, and that gave me the confidence to push.”
It was a remarkable turnaround for the young Italian, who finished last on his Formula 1 debut at Monaco just a year ago. He also became the first Italian winner of the Monaco Grand Prix since Jarno Trulli in 2004, a year before Antonelli was even born.
