Wolff is not shy of a flourish, but the comparison he settled on for Antonelli’s Italian Grand Prix drive was still striking.
“I thought one of the two would win, either George because he was on pole, or Kimi because he’s going to walk on water here in Monza, and I felt that yesterday also,” Wolff told reporters after the race.
Antonelli, demoted to 19th on the grid by an engine-related penalty, charged through the field to beat Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 3.857 seconds. Max Verstappen completed the podium.
The second-lowest grid ever to win
Only John Watson’s 1983 victory from 22nd at Long Beach sits above P19 as a lower starting position for a Formula 1 winner. Antonelli is also the first Italian to win at Monza since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966, and Sky Sports notes that his seventh career win already makes him the most successful Italian F1 driver since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
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What Wolff saw on Saturday
The Mercedes principal said the driver’s demeanour from qualifying onward had told him something extraordinary was coming.
“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,” Wolff said.
He added that Antonelli’s father had reached the same conclusion the day before.
“I chatted with his father yesterday and the father also saw that coming.”
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‘The circle closed’
Antonelli’s first outing at Monza in 2024, when he crashed in his opening Mercedes practice session as a teenaged test driver, has followed him around ever since. Wolff framed the Sunday win as the answer to it.
“It’s how the circle closed… two years later, it’s the biggest glory, the biggest moment of his career.”
“Even if he wins another 200 grand prix, that one will always remain special.”
Antonelli extends his title lead
Antonelli was more measured than his boss.
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“Unbelievable! I’m so happy. I could never have imagined to be here today, but we managed to pull it off,” he said after the race. “It’s a dream coming true.”
The victory moves him 66 points clear of Russell at the top of the drivers’ standings, with Lando Norris a further 30 points back in third.
