Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli will start the Italian Grand Prix from the back after a grid penalty for an engine change, but the young Italian has a chance to repeat the feats of past champions who turned grid-reversal into race-defining comebacks.
Antonelli’s penalty comes just weeks after Max Verstappen’s 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory, where the Dutchman climbed from 17th to first despite starting behind a five-place power-unit penalty. Lewis Hamilton’s 2014 Hungarian GP podium from a pit-lane start and Sebastian Vettel’s 2012 Abu Dhabi charge—both in championship-defining moments—show how late-race surges can reshape seasons.
Raikkonen’s 2005 Suzuka win from 17th, Schumacher’s 1995 Spa triumph from 16th, and Barrichello’s emotional 2000 Hockenheim victory from 18th prove that Monza’s tight, high-speed layout can reward late passes. Fittipaldi’s 1980 podium from P24 caps the trend: when the field thins, the underdog often rises.
Antonelli’s challenge now mirrors these moments. With Verstappen, Hamilton, and Vettel among those who turned grid reversals into race-changing runs, Monza’s unpredictable conditions could give him the opening he needs.
