Antonelli wins Italian Grand Prix from the back

There was a lot of conversation on whether local team Ferrari or local boy Kimi Antonelli would do the Italian job at Monza on Sunday and at the end of a dramatic race, the 20-year-old Italian produced a sizzling drive from the back of the grid to see off Mercedes teammate George Russell for his seventh win of the season.

Antonelli, who won his home grand prix for the first time to become the first Italian to win at Monza in 60 years, stretched his lead at the top of the championship standings to 66 points.

"Oh my god ... it feels like a dream," Antonelli said.

Max Verstappen finished third in his Red Bull ahead of the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Antonelli’s win gave the crowd something to cheer about after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed out of the Scuderia's home race early on. In the other Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton finished sixth.

The race started in dramatic fashion when Hamilton's teammate Leclerc slammed his Ferrari off the track and into barriers. The Monegasque, who is a two-time winner at Monza, lost control on the exit of the parabolica at the end of lap two, going straight into the gravel and flying side on into the tyre barriers.

Leclerc stepped out of the car, looking winded but otherwise unhurt.

The race was red-flagged with Russell in the lead, having overtaken pole-sitter Pierre Gasly of Alpine.

Antonelli, who began at the back of the field in 19th after exceeding the permitted number of power unit changes, had already moved his way up to 12th and once the race restarted continued to pick his way through the field.

On lap 18, he hit the front for the first time but that was the start of a desperate dogfight with Russell.

Antonelli benefitted from a 'free' tyre change during a virtual safety car on lap 29 coming out on a fresh sets of mediums while Russell was left out on track with his hard tyres.

A 15-second lead quickly evaporated and after a botched overtaking effort on lap 49, Antonelli finally slipped past Russell a lap later and eased his way through the final three laps to take chequered flag.