Kimi Antonelli 'walked over water' at Monza - Here's why Toto Wolff made biblical reference

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes Kimi Antonelli "walked over water" in describing his young driver's astonishing Italian Grand Prix victory at Monza on Sunday.

Antonelli produced one of F1's greatest drives, starting from 19th on the grid to take the chequered flag on home soil, becoming the first Italian driver to do so since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.

Only John Watson, in the 1983 United States Grand Prix West at Long Beach, has claimed a win from a lower grid position - 22nd.

In passing Mercedes team-mate George Russell in the closing stages, Antonelli has now opened up a 66-point cushion at the top of the drivers' standings.

Despite the engine penalty relegating Antonelli to near the back of the grid, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, Wolff said: "I thought one of the two would win, either George because he was on pole [an expectation as Russell started second behind Pierre Gasly], or Kimi because he's going to walk over water in Monza, and I felt that [on Saturday in qualifying]."

Explaining his comments, Wolff added: "It's been a while since I've seen a driver's energy levels, mindset, or behavioural pattern, and I knew that was his mission to win the race. I also chatted with his father, and the father also saw it coming.

"These are the moments when you can see how a weekend is panning out through the sessions that a special moment could come. But it's still a mechanical sport, so it can change quickly."

Wolff likens Antonelli to Hamilton

Antonelli's victory drive was aided, in part, by Charles Leclerc's crash at the end of lap two at Parabolica, although by that stage he had already climbed seven places from 19th to 12th.

A few laps later, after the restart, Antonelli had surged to fifth and was only a few seconds behind leader Russell. 

A VSC much later in the race, at a time when Antonelli and Russell were dicing for the lead, saw the younger driver change tyres. A few laps from home, he made the race-winning pass as the rubber on Russell's car faded in the closing stages.

Wolff feels he saw in Antonelli's performance a similar trait to that of Lewis Hamilton during his heyday at Mercedes, with whom he won six of his seven titles.

"We had to go on a one-stop strategy [at the start]," said Wolff. "We knew he was going to go through the field.

"Then the race was red-flagged, and then suddenly you find yourself on the back foot with the medium. [But] That proved to be the right strategy.

"But the differentiator was [his] ability to go through the traffic, and we've seen it with other great ones in the past. Lewis did it at some races, and that's what he [Antonelli] has shown.

"There's just no stopping when a driver and a car are one. There is nothing that can stop them."