Monza, nicknamed the Temple of Speed, is a circuit steeped in Formula 1 history. It was race seven of seven in the very first season of the Formula One World Championship, and at its core, it has always been home to Ferrari’s most devoted supporters: the tifosi.

When you think of the Italian Grand Prix, one thing usually comes to mind: Ferrari. The grandstands are filled with Formula 1 fans in red, waving Ferrari flags and cheering for the current and past Ferrari drivers. But the 2026 season brought a different feeling to Monza. Ferrari were still the heartbeat of the track, but the current championship leader, young Italian Kimi Antonelli, was a force ever present.

Which brought up the question that seemed to pass through everyone’s mind: who should win at the Italian Grand Prix? Ferrari, the Italian team? Or Kimi Antonelli, the Italian Mercedes driver?

Everybody’s a Ferrari fan

When you talk about Formula 1, there is often one team that everyone recognizes, a team that has been in the sport since its conception: Scuderia Ferrari. A team symbolised by its red cars, the prancing horse, and the millions of fans around the world who support them.

The Italian GP is the home base for the tifosi, a race that every Ferrari fan dreams of visiting someday. The grandstands fill with fans in red, carrying massive Ferrari flags, with generations coming together to support the team.

When you say “Ferrari,” you are talking about more than a racing team. You are talking about a national identity and a culture that has grown alongside the sport. Ferrari is Italy, and Italy loves Ferrari.

As Sebastian Vettel perfectly put it: “Everybody’s a Ferrari fan, even if they’re not, they are a Ferrari fan.”

That connection between Ferrari, its fans, and Formula 1 is one of the things that makes Monza so special. It is a place where sport, national pride, and generations of fandom meet.

And when you think of the iconic moments and drivers Ferrari has given Formula 1, one name usually stands out from the rest: Michael Schumacher.

A childhood hero

Often when you talk about Formula 1 and Ferrari, a particular name is mentioned: Michael Schumacher. The greatest of all time for many, a seven-time World Champion, and the most successful Ferrari driver.

This year, Schumacher was honored at the Italian Grand Prix, and to say it was beautifully done would be an understatement.

Ferrari donned a Michael Schumacher-inspired livery, using the same design his 1996 car had. They wore Schumi-inspired teamwear, race suits, and helmets. But the most moving tribute came from Michael’s friend and the driver he mentored, Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel drove Michael’s 2002 Ferrari around Monza, a moment that was moving, thrilling, and beautifully heartbreaking all at the same time. Hearing Michael’s Ferrari roar around the circuit felt like being brought back in time. Knowing Sebastian Vettel was behind the wheel added another layer of emotion.

Afterwards, Vettel gave an emotional interview about his relationship with Michael, his respect for him, and how much he truly missed him.

“He’s my childhood hero and later on we had a deep connection with the friendship and got fairly close and shared so many nice memories. I think we’d much rather see him drive today than me, myself included.

On a personal note, Michael has always been one of my favorite drivers. Since his accident in 2013, the F1 community has never stopped missing him from the sport. To see Schumacher honored in this fashion was truly moving.

As Monza honored one of its greatest heroes, the weekend also became a reminder that every generation of Formula 1 has the chance to create its own history. And for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix, that history was about to unfold on track.

Heartbreaks and home heroes

Heading into the Grand Prix weekend, everyone had hopes of an all-Italian podium, with the two Ferraris and Kimi Antonelli occupying those three steps. But with a back-of-grid engine penalty, Antonelli’s chances of a podium finish seemed slim.

That turned attention toward Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the Ferraris. Leclerc started from P3 and Hamilton from P4, making the possibility of a Ferrari 1-2 finish feel very real.

With Kimi Antonelli starting P19, he was in damage limitation mode. A points finish, P10 or higher, would have been a respectable result. No one expected what happened next.

The race was full of chaos, drama, heartbreak, and celebration. Pierre Gasly, starting from pole position, was able to keep his lead while defending against Mercedes’ George Russell, who started P2.

Behind them, chaos quickly ensued. The two Ferraris battled one another, with Hamilton fighting Leclerc into the first corner before Leclerc pushed Hamilton wide through Turn 2, dropping him down the grid.

By Lap 2, however, Leclerc suffered a high-speed crash at the Parabolica, the same corner where he crashed in 2020. The tifosi around the world were heartbroken. Fans watching at home stared at their screens in horror, while those around the circuit wept. Millions of hopes for a Ferrari victory suddenly seemed gone.

But there was still one chance left. One more Italian who could bring home that special podium finish: Kimi Antonelli.

Forza Kimi

The road to victory was never going to be easy. Starting from P19, Antonelli had to navigate his way through the entire grid before he could even think about fighting for the lead.

After a Virtual Safety Car, a red flag, and a race restart, somehow the young Italian climbed his way to the front.

But reaching the lead did not secure the win. For several laps, Antonelli battled his teammate George Russell. One lap George led, the next it was Kimi. The back-and-forth fight continued until, on Lap 50 of 53, Antonelli finally secured the lead.

Then came the checkered flag.

Kimi Antonelli became the first Italian in 60 years to win at Monza, his home race. The entire circuit erupted. A rising home hero had finally reached the top step of the podium.

It did not end with a Ferrari on the podium. Instead, the only Italian driver on the grid showed exactly what he had in him.

From P19 to P1, Kimi Antonelli claimed victory.

An Italian GP to remember

Perhaps that is what made this Italian Grand Prix so memorable. Monza brought together pieces of Formula 1’s past, present, and future in one place.

Ferrari represented generations of Italian identity and fandom. Michael Schumacher’s tribute connected today’s grid to one of the sport’s most important eras. Sebastian Vettel carried that history around the circuit. And Kimi Antonelli, an Italian racing for a German team, gave his home country a victory that transcended team colors.

That is the beauty of Formula 1. Its races may take place in individual countries, but the stories created there travel far beyond their borders. Drivers cross cultures, teams bring together people from around the world, and fans build communities around a sport that belongs to everyone.

At Monza, Ferrari red still filled the grandstands, but alongside it was Mercedes silver, the flag of a new Italian hero, and the memory of a German legend.

For one weekend, generations, nationalities, teams, and histories all met at the Temple of Speed.

And perhaps that is Formula 1 at its best: a sport built on competition, but connected by the people, cultures, and stories that carry it around the world.