Formula One 2026: Italian GP updates after Leclerc walks away from huge crash – live | Formula One 2026
Key events
Lap 42: Verstappen locks up into turn one and is forced to take the run-off but expertly negotiates the turns and limits his damage to a couple of places.
Lap 41: Gasly is talking about the track degrading at turn two. Liam Lawson has also mentioned that section on his radio.
No further action taken on Russell regarding yellow flag infringement
Lap 40: That’s big for our race leader but Antonelli is still closing. The Italian is now just 5.7 seconds off the lead with 13 laps remaining.
Lap 39: A lot rests on that potential yellow flag infringement, but we are set for a brilliant end to this grand prix.
Russell: “Are the lap times good enough at the moment?”
Mercedes: ‘Currently, Kimi forecast to catch right at the end of the race.”
Lap 38: “Why on Earth didn’t they bring in Hamilton under the VSC? Were they taking a nap?” asks Beau Dure. It does seem odd. Hamilton was in the ascendancy but his race has been completely scuppered since that virtual safety car.
Russell noted for a yellow flag infringement!
Lap 37: Russell is officially under investigation for a yellow flag infringement. That means one of the stewards has seen something and could result in a five-second penalty. With Antonelli less than eight seconds behind Russell and 16 laps to go, that could be curtains for the Brit’s hope of victory.
Lap 36: How long will Russell and Piastri last on those hard tyres? Not long, it appears, as Antonelli rushes past the latter to take second!
Lap 35: Another boost for Antonelli with Hamilton forced into the the run-off area on turn one. The Ferrari driver is struggling for grip on his tyres and Antonelli has another easy pass up to third!
Lap 34: Just over 10 seconds now between Russell and Antonelli. This is very much on.
Lap 33: “If Russell loses this race, I think he should just forget about the championship,” emails Edwin Innih Imoesi.
I agree. This is approaching make or break for the Brit’s season.
Lap 32: Russell has a six-second lead over Piastri. One of Sky’s F1 boffins has estimated that if Antonelli can retain this speed, he will be in contention for the lead in around four laps.
Lap 31: So, here’s where we are on Lap 31. Antonelli and Verstappen are flying through the field, following their pit-stops.
1. Russell
2. Piastri
3. Hamilton
4. Antonelli
5. Norris
6. Verstappen
7. Gasly
Lap 30: Russell is still out on those hard tyres, can he last the whole race on that? That is the big question for the Brit, who now has a big lead over the rest of the track. ““I’ve got massive derating in this strat, are you sure this is good?” asks Russell regarding his tyres.
“Keep this strat,” replies the Mercedes engineer.
Yellow flag: virtual safety car deployed
Lap 28: Lance Stroll has come off the track, so everyone has had to come down to the same speed. This is a perfect time for a pit-stop and Antonelli pits! New medium tyres for Antonelli, who will now be lightning quick, even if he has fallen to sixth, around 15 seconds behind Russell. Verstappen also pits, it’s hard tyres for the Red Bull.
Lap 27: Antonelli is a couple of car lengths behind Russell, stalking his teammate.
Lap 26: Verstappen is still less than two seconds behind, so juuuuuuust outside of the overtake mode.
Lap 25: Mercedes will hope that their two drivers slingshot each other away from Verstappen and the rest of the racing track. But it doesn’t appear that Russell or Antonelli are listening.
Lap 24: More info from the Mercedes radio: “George had been given the message to build the gap to Verstappen. If he can’t do that then we will invert.”
Lap 23: “We have to stop yo-yoing, we just have to build that gap”, plead the Mercedes radio to their two drivers. Antonelli replies“Yeah right, and then he can pass me. Do you want me to sit behind or what?”
Russell retakes the lead!
Lap 22: This is going to happen all afternoon, isn’t it?! So long as the two Mercedes are battling for the lead in such close quarters, the lead will continue to change. The second-placed car is always going to have the advantage going into that mammoth straight, which is where all the overtakes are taking place. Russell roars past Antonelli once more. He leads.
Lap 21: Norris is up to sixth, with Gasly falling again. Verstappen is third, Piastri fourth, Hamilton fifth, Norris sixth and Gasly seventh.
Lap 20: Both Antonelli and Russell swap turns in taking the lead but Antonelli finishing the 20th lap at the front. The two Mercedes cars now have clear distance to Verstappen, 1.4 seconds in front, so out of the overtaking zone to the Dutchman.
Lap 19: Russell tries to regain the lead, but Antonelli holds on! Interesting that the Italian was able to hold on, despite Russell having the overtaking mode and that extra half megajoule of power.
Antonelli takes the lead!
Lap 18: A huge roar from the home crowd as the Italian rounds his teammate Russell and takes the lead! It now appears to be a three-horse race as Antonelli–Russell–Verstappen slink around the track, a good distance from the rest of the pack.
Lap 17: What a race this is. Hamilton and Piastri are fighting for fourth place, with the Ferrari winning the battle.
Lap 16: Antonelli takes second from Verstappen! This is remarkable racing from the 20-year-old Italian. Verstappen is not happy. “The car is completely broken on its rear axle,” he tells Red Bull radio.
Russell regains the lead from Verstappen!
Lap 15: The Mercedes makes no mistake with his second attempt and Verstappen is forced to cede the lead!
Just 3.8 seconds separate the top seven here. Wooooosh.
Lap 14: Verstappen and Russell are having a right ding-dong battle at the front. Russell makes the move but fails to get a car length in front of Verstappen and the Dutchman is just able to cling onto the lead into the corner. EEeeeeeeesh.
Antonelli into the podium places!
Lap 13: Remarkable! Having started at the back of the grid, Antonelli is now just 1.5 seconds behind teammate Russell in second! Verstappen still leads.
Verstappen takes the lead!
Lap 12: Verstappen, on the medium tyres, carries huge speed going into that home straight, and the Dutchman takes the outside line, easily surpassing Russell – almost waving to the Brit – into that first corner. We have ourselves a new leader!
Lap 11: Gasly is falling like a stone through the field to sixth. The Alpine driver is helpless as Piastri and Antonelli take fourth and fifth respectively.
Lap 10: Hamilton up into third place! The Ferrari roars down the outside on that home straight and simply outstrips Gasly on the inside, and takes position for the second corner in that first chicane.
Lap 9: Things have settled somewhat after that breathless start. Hamilton has just recorded the fastest lap. The slipstreams are real at Monza. Gasly is struggling in third, the Alpine driver is already being told to manage his medium tyres! Hamilton licking his lips in fourth.
