New Delhi, Sept. 7 -- The atmosphere at Monza is always thick with history. But on Sunday afternoon, it crackled with something far more electric - destiny.

For 60 years, the spirit of Ludovico Scarfiotti had wandered the hallowed asphalt of the 'Temple of Speed'--since 1966 no Italian driver had stood on the top step of the podium at their home Grand Prix.

It was a prolonged drought that for many even felt like a national curse. But curses, as Kimi Antonelli proved in a breathtaking drive for the ages, are simply waiting for the right generational talent to shatter them.

Starting 19th on the grid after an engine change, victory for the 20-year-old seemed implausible, practically impossible. The grandstands were filled with a hopeful b...