Kimi Antonelli's drive from P19 to first at the Italian Grand Prix has already been hailed as one of the finest recovery victories Formula 1 has ever seen.
The 20-year-old carved through the field with 26 overtakes and a decisive late pass on team-mate George Russell to win at home, ending a 60-year wait for an Italian winner at Monza.
But was it the best comeback victory in the sport's history? The competition is fierce, and we want to know what you think.
The contenders
John Watson, 1983 United States Grand Prix West (P22 to P1): The Northern Irishman produced one of the sport's most extraordinary results at Long Beach. Watson and team-mate Niki Lauda qualified 22nd and 23rd respectively in their underpowered DFV McLarens, yet finished 1-2 in one of the most remarkable afternoons in F1 history. It remains the lowest starting position ever converted into a win.
Rubens Barrichello, 2000 German Grand Prix (P18 to P1): With Michael Schumacher out on the opening lap, Barrichello carried Ferrari's hopes from 18th. A bold gamble to stay on slick tyres as rain fell in the closing stages proved decisive, handing him his maiden, and long-overdue, F1 victory after 123 starts.
Kimi Räikkönen, 2005 Japanese Grand Prix (P17 to P1): A wet qualifying session and an engine penalty dumped Räikkönen to 17th at Suzuka. What followed was pure racecraft, culminating in a legendary last-lap pass around the outside of Giancarlo Fisichella at Turn 1 to snatch victory from thin air.
Jenson Button, 2011 Canadian Grand Prix (last to P1): This one stands apart because Button did not start from the back. He qualified seventh, but a collision with team-mate Lewis Hamilton, a drive-through penalty for speeding under the Safety Car, and a subsequent clash with Fernando Alonso left him stranded in last place past the halfway point of the 70-lap race. What followed was a masterclass in tyre management and race reading across an extraordinary four-hour, rain-interrupted afternoon, capped by a last-lap pass on Sebastian Vettel to take the win.
Sergio Perez, 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix (last to P1): Another outlier, and another driver who fell to the back during the race rather than starting there. Perez lined up fifth for Racing Point but was spun around by Charles Leclerc at Turn 4 on lap one, pitting at the end of the opening lap and rejoining last. He then produced a methodical, patient recovery drive on a two-stop strategy, climbing back into podium contention before Mercedes' catastrophic double-stack pit error and a late puncture for George Russell handed him the lead. He held on to win by more than ten seconds, claiming his maiden F1 victory on his 190th start.
Lewis Hamilton, 2021 São Paulo Grand Prix (last to P1): Hamilton's recovery was not a single-race effort but a weekend-long fightback, from last in the sprint to fifth, then from P10 on the grand prix grid, after an engine penalty, to victory over title rival Max Verstappen. The grand prix itself was a nine-place gain rather than the deep-grid recoveries of the other entries, but the totality of the weekend is what elevates it.
Max Verstappen, 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix (P17 to P1): A chaotic, rain-soaked Interlagos delivered one of the great wet-weather drives. Verstappen sliced from 17th to the lead by lap 43 and pulled nearly 20 seconds clear by the flag, effectively sealing his fourth world championship.
Kimi Antonelli, 2026 Italian Grand Prix (P19 to P1): Starting 19th after power unit penalties, Antonelli produced an extraordinary charge through the field before pitting under a Virtual Safety Car for fresh medium tyres. He then hunted down Russell and passed him with three laps remaining to win in front of the Tifosi.
Which do you think was the greatest comeback victory in F1 history? Let us know by voting below in the latest poll by RacingNews365!
Originally published by RacingNews365 —
Read Original Article