‘Best day of my life’ – Antonelli reflects on unforgettable Monza triumph

Kimi Antonelli has labelled his victory at the Italian Grand Prix “the best day of my life”, with the Mercedes driver hoping to add some more wins to his tally before the end of the season.

A planned engine change, and resultant penalties, meant that the 20-year-old was relegated to the back of the grid for his home race, but the pace of the W17 and the overtaking spots around Monza meant that he was always capable of limiting the damage.

What wasn’t expected was Antonelli charging from P19 to contend for the win, with the Italian getting stuck into multiple exhilarating battles with his team mate George Russell before crossing the line 3.857s clear.

It not only felt like a landmark result in his second campaign with Mercedes, but also helped to extend his advantage to 66 points in the Drivers’ Championship, so it’s no surprise that he is still savouring his performance ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.

“The weekend itself was absolutely incredible,” Antonelli said in Madrid. “Definitely so far the best day of my life, and an incredible memory. I couldn’t wish for a better day.

“I didn’t fully realise [what I did] because I also didn’t have much time to do so. I think after this weekend I will have a bit more time to think about it. Of course, I want to do well this weekend as well.

“Looking back at that day, I think everything was incredible, and for sure the most memorable moment was when I crossed the line and then went on the podium. To see all the Tifosi, this massive crowd of people that was endless, was absolutely incredible.

“Hearing them singing the national anthem was also very, very special. It was fun coming back through the field, chasing, and then finally crossing the line was a big relief and very emotional.”

He went on to explain that while the race proved to him that “nothing’s impossible”, especially as his initial ambition was simply to recover to the podium, he’s now switched his focus to succeeding at the brand-new Madring.

Antonelli added: “I had goosebumps all the way. The next day I re-watched the podium and everything, and I still had goosebumps because obviously you dream of winning your home race. Doing it in that way and then seeing all the crowd cheering, it was absolutely special.

“The song at the end was the cherry on top of the cake. You know, singing that obviously super-famous song, and a really cool one. It is stuck in my head as well. Also within the team now, we’re all singing it. So hopefully we will have a reason to sing it this weekend as well.

“I wish [I had] a bit more time to realise and enjoy it, but now obviously we’re in Madrid and we’re ready to do our best, and we’ll try to repeat [it].”