Power Rankings: Standout Performances at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix
Kimi Antonelli's victory at Monza was a highlight of the Italian Grand Prix, but he wasn't the only driver to catch the eye of the judges. From Pierre Gasly's pole position to Max Verstappen's podium finish, here's who impressed.
Kimi Antonelli delivered a stunning performance at the Italian Grand Prix, turning a P19 start into a victory that had the home crowd roaring. This feat earned him a perfect 10 from the Power Rankings judges. But Antonelli wasn't the only driver making waves at Monza.
The Evaluation Process
- A five-judge panel scores each driver out of 10 based on their weekend performance, irrespective of their car's capabilities. - These scores are averaged to create a race score, which is then added to the season's Power Rankings Leaderboard.
#### Kimi Antonelli's Impressive Drive
Starting at P19 due to power unit changes, Antonelli was expected to minimize damage to his championship lead. Instead, he delivered a masterclass, overtaking rivals and seizing victory with a strategic pit stop during a Virtual Safety Car period. His victory marks the first time an Italian has won at Monza in 60 years.
#### Pierre Gasly's Qualifying Exploits
Pierre Gasly and Alpine executed a perfect qualifying strategy, earning him his first F1 pole position. Though he slipped to P7 during the race, Gasly's efforts were commendable, particularly given his previous victory at this circuit six years prior.
#### Max Verstappen's Persistent Challenge
Max Verstappen, despite lacking the straight-line speed of the Mercedes, managed to lead the race briefly and finished third. His strategic pit stop under the VSC helped him secure this podium finish, marking his third in four races.
#### Arvid Lindblad's Quiet Consistency
Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad flew under the radar yet again, clinching a P8 finish. Benefiting from incidents involving Charles Leclerc and Franco Colapinto, Lindblad has now scored in seven of the last eight races.
#### George Russell's Close Call
George Russell saw a chance to close the gap to Antonelli in the standings but left Monza further behind. Despite a strong performance, including leading the race, strategic decisions and tire choices under the VSC didn't work in his favor.
#### Oscar Piastri's Recovery
After a tough outing at Zandvoort, Oscar Piastri was back in form, overcoming a grid penalty to finish closely behind his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Piastri's race saw him tussle with Lewis Hamilton, eventually securing fifth.
#### Lando Norris' Reality Check
Having won the previous two races, Norris found himself battling from P8 at Monza. He recovered well, ultimately finishing fourth after a late-race duel with teammate Piastri.
#### Gabriel Bortoleto's Near Miss
Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto narrowly missed out on the final qualifying session but started within the top 10 due to grid penalties. However, he couldn't match the pace of the leaders, ending just outside the points.
#### Yuki Tsunoda's Point Scoring
In only his second race back with Racing Bulls, Yuki Tsunoda climbed from P15 to finish in P10, potentially enhancing his prospects for next season.
#### Carlos Sainz's Battling Effort
Despite Williams' struggles at Monza, Carlos Sainz managed a P13 finish, outperforming Red Bull's Liam Lawson and both Haas cars.
Honorable Mentions
Franco Colapinto and Ollie Bearman also put in noteworthy performances. Colapinto finished P9 after a promising start, while Bearman made the most of Haas' upgrades to claim P15.
The Italian Grand Prix delivered thrilling performances across the board, with several drivers making significant impressions on the Power Rankings judges.