Kimi Antonelli expressed pride at having taken Italy back to the top of Formula 1 after the 19-year-old Mercedes driver won the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, 20 years after the last previous Italian triumph by Giancarlo Fisichella in Malaysia.
The victory made Antonelli the second-youngest Grand Prix winner in the history of the sport, with only four-time world champion Max Verstappen being more prodigious by winning the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix when he was 18 and driving for Toro Rosso.
Antonelli pulled off the feat after becoming the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to take pole position on Saturday, beating the record set by Sebastian Vettel at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.
"I'm speechless," said Antonelli, who struggled to hold back the tears after the win.
"Thank you so much to my team, because they helped me to achieve this dream.
"I'm super happy.
"I said yesterday I really wanted to bring Italy back on top and we did today".
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