Verstappen hugs Antonelli's father at Monza before son can reach him in viral paddock moment

Max Verstappen drew widespread fan praise after being filmed embracing Marco Antonelli — father of race winner Kimi — in the Monza paddock on Sunday, reaching the elder Antonelli for a hug before his son could get there himself.

The footage emerged after Kimi Antonelli claimed victory at the Italian Grand Prix from 19th on the grid, a result that extended his drivers’ championship lead to 66 points over Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who finished second. Verstappen completed the podium in third.

The clip spread rapidly across social media, with fans quick to commend the four-time world champion’s gesture. “Very sweet, very wholesome,” one Reddit user wrote, while another called Verstappen “a class act.” A third comment read: “Max is really the bigger person… I’d still be salty that Kimi lost me a shot at 5x WDC last season.”

Not all the reactions were purely sentimental. One fan suggested Verstappen “is lowkey just happy Antonelli is wiping the floor with Russell,” a nod to the championship dynamics that have seen Russell fall further behind his own team-mate.

Antonelli, 20, described the Monza win as his most meaningful podium of the season. “To see all the fans on the straight, it’s just incredible,” he said at the post-race press conference. “And then being at home, it adds that little bit extra.”

With Lewis Hamilton third in the standings — 76 points behind Antonelli and 10 behind Russell — the title picture is sharpening considerably as the season heads into its final stretch.