At just 19 years old, the Italian becomes the second-youngest winner in the sport’s history, with only Max Verstappen younger at the time of his first triumph.
It was a mature victory far beyond his years, as he controlled the race from the start, only relinquishing the lead from pole for a single lap.
He overcame a Safety Car period, a late lock-up that saw him run off at the hairpin with three laps remaining, and a tense battle behind him between teammate George Russell and the Ferrari pair of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Russell ultimately finished 7.4 seconds behind his teammate in second to extend his world championship lead, with Hamilton claiming his first podium for Ferrari, 18.5 seconds back.
And while Mercedes firmly asserted themselves in the 2026 season with another 1-2, it was a disaster for reigning constructors’ champions McLaren, who suffered their first double “did not start” since the 2005 United States Grand Prix.
Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were sidelined by unrelated electrical issues, with Norris not even reaching the grid and Piastri pulled off by McLaren before the warm-up lap, marking his second consecutive DNS of the season.
Their misfortune did nothing to prevent Antonelli from showcasing his skill in just his 26th grand prix start, becoming the first Italian to win a race since Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix.
More to come
